WEBVTT - Thom chats with Senator Rand Paul 10/22/2025

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<v Speaker 1>Senator, Good morning, hope you're well today.

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<v Speaker 2>Good morning. Thanks for having me.

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<v Speaker 1>Absolutely always like having you here. Hey.

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<v Speaker 3>First of all, look, I don't want to get into

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<v Speaker 3>you know, are your feelings hurt, whatever the case might be,

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<v Speaker 3>but I do want to ask you about not being

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<v Speaker 3>invited to the lunch yesterday with other senators at the

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<v Speaker 3>White House with President Trump. I mean, it seems to

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<v Speaker 3>me that you can have disagreements inside of a party.

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<v Speaker 3>It's one thing to disagree with the other party, but

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<v Speaker 3>you can have disagreements inside your own party yet still

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<v Speaker 3>let all the voices be heard. I thought that was

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<v Speaker 3>a mistake on his part. I assume maybe you feel

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<v Speaker 3>the same way or no.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I try not to take it too seriously there.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, people can be petty here and there, and

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<v Speaker 2>you know, I could care less whether I'm invited in

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<v Speaker 2>the lunch or not. But what I do think is

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<v Speaker 2>that I'm on their mind, and that's a good thing

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<v Speaker 2>because the things that I represent are basically balancing the budget,

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<v Speaker 2>reduce spending, making government small and constitutional, and I stick

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<v Speaker 2>to my guns on that. So when Republicans propose a

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<v Speaker 2>spending bill, it will be two trillion in debt, which

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<v Speaker 2>is going on right now. I oppose it. Democrats have

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<v Speaker 2>proposed a spending bill it would be three trillion in debt.

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<v Speaker 2>I pose that also. But there needs to be some

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<v Speaker 2>part of the Republican Party that is still fiscally conservative,

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<v Speaker 2>consistent and sticks to its principles. And so the thing

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<v Speaker 2>is is I am on their mind. And the President,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, may have thought it was kind of funny

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<v Speaker 2>that I wasn't invited. But the other thing is is

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<v Speaker 2>he's having to think about me. And when we posted

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<v Speaker 2>that Thomas Massey and I were having lunch instead, we

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<v Speaker 2>had two million people view that posting. So there is

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<v Speaker 2>a constituency still out there for fiscal conservatism and I'm

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<v Speaker 2>going to continue to try to represent that.

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<v Speaker 3>Okay, But I got to ask you, knowing what you

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<v Speaker 3>just said that the Democrats spending would be three million.

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<v Speaker 3>The Republicans, I think you said two million, Why did

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<v Speaker 3>you vote again, I'm sorry, why did you vote against

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<v Speaker 3>just a clean CR on this deal?

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<v Speaker 2>The clean CR are the Biden spending levels basically, so

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<v Speaker 2>last December, the CR levels continuing resolution spending levels were

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<v Speaker 2>set and these were the Biden levels, and you remember

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<v Speaker 2>Republicans complaining I Evan in the election about biden Omics,

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<v Speaker 2>Biden inflation, Biden spending. Most Conservatives voted against these spending

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<v Speaker 2>levels last December. Come March, Republicans were in charge, Trump

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<v Speaker 2>was in the White House. Then the Republicans, most of

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<v Speaker 2>them other than me, flipped and voted for it. The

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<v Speaker 2>interesting thing now is the Biden spending levels are now

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<v Speaker 2>the Republican CR. All the Democrats voted for this in

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<v Speaker 2>December of twenty four also, but now they've flipped. So

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<v Speaker 2>it's kind of only in Washington. Can you imagine that

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<v Speaker 2>all the Republicans now support other than me, support the

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<v Speaker 2>Biden spending levels, and all the Democrats are opposed to

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<v Speaker 2>the Biden spending levels. So it's a crazy topsy turvy world.

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<v Speaker 2>But there has to be someone who's consistent in all

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<v Speaker 2>this mess. So I voted against the Republican plan because

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<v Speaker 2>they're at the Biden spending levels and it will lead

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<v Speaker 2>to a two trillion dollars deficit this year and that's

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<v Speaker 2>just untenable.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, with that in mind, though, with the CR and look,

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<v Speaker 3>you've forgotten more of this stuff than I'll ever know.

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<v Speaker 3>But wouldn't a CR though. Senator rand Paul wouldn't at

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<v Speaker 3>least give you the chance to negotiate through some of

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<v Speaker 3>this stuff.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, now is the time to negotiate. And the thing

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<v Speaker 2>is is I put forward a proposal. They voted on

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<v Speaker 2>my proposal two weeks ago, not because they wanted to,

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<v Speaker 2>but because I forced them to, because it's a privileged

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<v Speaker 2>vot vehicle, because neither party put forward a budget. So

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<v Speaker 2>I put forward mind the Penny Plan about two weeks ago,

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<v Speaker 2>and we did get a vote, and we got about

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<v Speaker 2>thirty six Republicans, So that's not bad. We've got no Democrats,

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<v Speaker 2>but it illustrates that there is a solution. My Penny

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<v Speaker 2>Plan would balance the budget over about a five year period.

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<v Speaker 2>That's what we need to be doing, and that's what

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<v Speaker 2>I'm going to continue to be. And I just don't

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<v Speaker 2>feel like, you know, taking a backstop of two trillion

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<v Speaker 2>dollars in new debt next year. I mean, the interest

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<v Speaker 2>payment now alone is a trillion dollars, and I think

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<v Speaker 2>it's untenable and I think our country is at risk

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<v Speaker 2>because of this. So I don't treat this lightly. I

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<v Speaker 2>don't treat this as, oh, you know, I'm going to

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<v Speaker 2>be petulant and vote against both I treat this as

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<v Speaker 2>sort of life and death with the nation that we

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<v Speaker 2>just cannot keep adding two trillion dollars every year in debt.

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<v Speaker 3>Is there any resolution in sight for this government shut down?

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<v Speaker 2>I think it's going to eventually, and either this week

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<v Speaker 2>or next. And here's the reasoning the Democrats. These are

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<v Speaker 2>Democrats spending levels. These are the Biden spending levels, now

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<v Speaker 2>called the Republicans z R. They all voted for it

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<v Speaker 2>last year in December. They're eventually all going to vote

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<v Speaker 2>for it this time. What happened is their base, their

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<v Speaker 2>left wing base, the socialist base of the Democrat Party,

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<v Speaker 2>decided they wanted more. They didn't want just the Biden

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<v Speaker 2>spending levels. They a to one of these add on

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<v Speaker 2>Obamacare subsidies. It's important that your listeners know what the

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<v Speaker 2>Democrats are asking for. The add on Obamacare subsidies give

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<v Speaker 2>one thousand dollars to somebody who makes two hundred and

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<v Speaker 2>twenty five thousand dollars. So if you make two hundred

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<v Speaker 2>and twenty five thousand dollars a year, the Obamacare subsidise,

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<v Speaker 2>the add on subsease give you one thousand dollars a

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<v Speaker 2>year if you make one hundred and seventy thousand dollars

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<v Speaker 2>a year. The Obamacare add on gives you thirty six

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<v Speaker 2>hundred dollars a year. So this is insane. We're two

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<v Speaker 2>trillion dollars short, and I think you're pretty well off

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<v Speaker 2>if you make one hundred and seventy thousand, if you

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<v Speaker 2>make two hundred twenty five thousand dollars, and you shouldn't

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<v Speaker 2>get any government money. So I really think we're gonna

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<v Speaker 2>end up winning this argument because giving rich people money

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<v Speaker 2>for health insurance that passes on to billion dollar you know,

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<v Speaker 2>multi billion dollar insurance companies. The only people that have

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<v Speaker 2>gotten rich off. You know, the rich get richer and

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<v Speaker 2>the insurance companies get rich. Yell. So it's a terrible situation.

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<v Speaker 2>I think the Democrats will eventually fold.

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<v Speaker 3>On this another topic, I'm kind of curious. Bear with

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<v Speaker 3>me for a second, why I try at least to

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<v Speaker 3>draw this sort of comparison. You have come out, you

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<v Speaker 3>have come out sternly against some of these bombings, for

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<v Speaker 3>lack of a better term, of some of these boats

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<v Speaker 3>that are blowing getting blown up by our military that

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<v Speaker 3>are trying to bring drugs into the country. You know,

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<v Speaker 3>I was singing about this last night, tell me if

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<v Speaker 3>I'm just completely mad about this, right, I look at

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<v Speaker 3>this kind of like, Okay, what if somebody is trying

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<v Speaker 3>to bring something deadly into my house and to hurt

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<v Speaker 3>my family. I don't care what their rights are if

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<v Speaker 3>they come in to try to bring something that would

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<v Speaker 3>be deadly to my family, I'm going to do everything

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<v Speaker 3>I can to protect my family from being hurt by

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<v Speaker 3>whatever it is they're bringing in. What is the difference

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<v Speaker 3>between that and again, if you tell me I'm crazy,

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<v Speaker 3>I get it. What's the difference between that and these

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<v Speaker 3>boats bringing drugs into our country that we know are

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<v Speaker 3>going to kill people in this country?

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<v Speaker 1>Why are we worried about their rights?

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<v Speaker 2>The main difference is this, When someone comes into your

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<v Speaker 2>house or tries to break into your house, they're not

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<v Speaker 2>alleged to be doing it. You actually see them when

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<v Speaker 2>you shoot them. They come in the door trying to

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<v Speaker 2>kill you. So the difference is that these boats is

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<v Speaker 2>there's a word called alleged. You don't know who these

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<v Speaker 2>people are. We don't know their name, we don't have

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<v Speaker 2>any evidence they're presenting, no evidence even have drugs. They're

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<v Speaker 2>not all Venezuela, and some of them are Colombian, some

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<v Speaker 2>are Equadorian. Think about this. We bombed a boat the

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<v Speaker 2>other day, killed a bunch of them, found two of

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<v Speaker 2>them swinging in the water. Did we pick up the

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<v Speaker 2>debris and put it into a court case against SIMP

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<v Speaker 2>drugs now that we found them floating in the water. Nope,

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<v Speaker 2>we just send them back to Colombia Ecuador. Doesn't it

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<v Speaker 2>seem bizarre if they really are in the drug trade

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<v Speaker 2>that we wouldn't prosecute the very people that we blow

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<v Speaker 2>up with these missiles. So the thing is there is

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<v Speaker 2>a difference in our country. So if someone breaks into

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<v Speaker 2>your house, you have the right to shoot them. But

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<v Speaker 2>if someone you know committed an assault and you think

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<v Speaker 2>that they live across you know, three streets over, you

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<v Speaker 2>can't go over there and just shoot them or blow

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<v Speaker 2>their house up. That's the difference. I mean. So if

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<v Speaker 2>you're at sea, if the coastguard is at sea and

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<v Speaker 2>they say to a boat, halt stop, we're going to

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<v Speaker 2>search you for contraband or for drugs. If they don't

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<v Speaker 2>they run away, the coastguard has the right to pursue them,

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<v Speaker 2>has the right to shoot at them to disable them,

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<v Speaker 2>and if they fire deadly shots of the Coastguard. The

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<v Speaker 2>coastguard can sink them. This has been the rules of

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<v Speaker 2>engagement for probably a couple of hundred years. The Coastguard

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<v Speaker 2>can use deadly forced but there's an escalation of the

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<v Speaker 2>rules on this. The reasoning is this, when the coast

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<v Speaker 2>Guard finally boards the ships off of Miami, twenty five

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<v Speaker 2>percent of those suspective of having drugs have no drugs

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<v Speaker 2>on board. So if we're wrong twenty five percent of

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<v Speaker 2>the time, would it be okay to blow people up?

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<v Speaker 2>These are human beings for goodness egs. I mean, if

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<v Speaker 2>it's you know, an eighteen year old fisherman who they've

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<v Speaker 2>kidnapped his sister and that he's being made to do

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<v Speaker 2>this or his sister's going to be raped or killed.

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<v Speaker 2>So there's a lot of if sam's or butts about

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<v Speaker 2>this that should be explored. And none of these drugs

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<v Speaker 2>are at all likelihood even coming to America. This is

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<v Speaker 2>an outboard boat two thousand miles away. These drugs, if

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<v Speaker 2>there are drugs, because it's still alleged, are going to

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<v Speaker 2>Trinidad and Tobago. This is a drug trade to the

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<v Speaker 2>Lower Antilles, the Lesser Antilles. These boats have no means.

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<v Speaker 2>It would take twenty tanks of gas. You'd have to

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<v Speaker 2>stop and fill up twenty times on an outboard motor

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<v Speaker 2>to get all the way United States from there. So

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<v Speaker 2>they're not even presenting evidence of who the people are,

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<v Speaker 2>whether they have drugs. But they're also not presenting evidence

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<v Speaker 2>of these boats two thousand miles away have any intention

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<v Speaker 2>of coming to America.

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<v Speaker 3>Hey, last thing I want to ask you about, and

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<v Speaker 3>this is way off topic here, but you know, depending

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<v Speaker 3>on what happens here in the next couple of weeks,

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<v Speaker 3>there is chance that the largest city in America is

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<v Speaker 3>going to basically vote in certainly a socialist, if not

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<v Speaker 3>an outright communist, to be the mayor of New York City.

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<v Speaker 3>In your wildest dreams, could you have ever imagined that

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<v Speaker 3>might happen in this country.

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<v Speaker 2>No, and it's hard to believe it is, and it

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<v Speaker 2>does happen. There's been a huge exodus from New York

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<v Speaker 2>and particularly New York City. A lot of the means

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<v Speaker 2>in capital, you know, it was the greatest financial city

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<v Speaker 2>in the world, have been leaving for years. But I

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<v Speaker 2>think there'll be a mass exodus and what you'll be

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<v Speaker 2>left with is no financial engine and just a poverty

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<v Speaker 2>and what comes from socialism. So no, it's a disaster

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<v Speaker 2>that's unfolding in slow motion hopefully that people will see.

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<v Speaker 2>But you know, there's not a whole lot of choices.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, you can vote for the corrupt Cuomo or

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<v Speaker 2>mom Domi, but there also is another choice. I'd vote

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<v Speaker 2>frankly for the Republican. I think Curtis Lee what would

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<v Speaker 2>bring law in order to the place and would be great.

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<v Speaker 2>He's just not polling high enough because there's not enough

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<v Speaker 2>Republicans right now, but he's the best choice, all right.

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<v Speaker 1>Senator Ran Paul.

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<v Speaker 3>Can't thank you enough for your time as always, and

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<v Speaker 3>we'll look forward to catching up with you again sometime soon.

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<v Speaker 3>Thank you, all right, Senator Ran Paul from the Commonwealth

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<v Speaker 3>of Kentucky.