Trump Puts Rand Paul On Blast Over ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’

President Donald Trump singled out Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) for criticism on Tuesday in a dispute over the “One Big, Beautiful Bill.”

The scolding took place on Truth Social shortly after Paul made an appearance on TV in which the senator said he would not support the legislation in its current form because it aims to raise the debt ceiling by several trillion dollars.

“Rand Paul has very little understanding of the BBB, especially the tremendous GROWTH that is coming. He loves voting ‘NO’ on everything, he thinks it’s good politics, but it’s not. The BBB is a big WINNER!!!” Trump said in one post.

Trump declared in another post, “Rand votes NO on everything, but never has any practical or constructive ideas. His ideas are actually crazy (losers!). The people of Kentucky can’t stand him. This is a BIG GROWTH BILL!”

On CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Paul said the “main thing” he objects to in the massive bill, which contains many provisions in line with Trump’s second-term agenda, is how it would raise the debt ceiling by another $4-5 trillion. As it stands, the national debt is approaching $37 trillion.

“That’s an indication that we’ll borrow that much. It’s an indication that we’ll put the debt on the back burner,” said Paul, who added that he did not join “most of the Republicans” who voted to “continue the Biden spending levels” with the six-month continuing resolution Congress passed in March.

Paul said he believes there are three or four Republicans in the Senate who might oppose the bill as it stands. That amount could be enough to stall the legislation’s progress, given the GOP has only a 53-45 majority.

“If there are four of us who want it to be more fiscally conservative, I think we can really reduce the spending levels and perhaps separate out the debt ceiling as well,” Paul said.

The senator also noted that he is “pretty much open to compromise on everything else in the bill,” specifically expressing support for how it seeks to retain the 2017 tax cuts.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) also defended the legislation from Paul’s critique on the debt ceiling in a recent “Fox News Sunday” interview. He alluded to how the reconciliation process Republicans are using allows Congress to bypass the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster threshold.

“We have to do it,” Johnson said. “We’re not going to get any Democrats to assist on that. So, to get it through the Senate and make sure we don’t crash the U.S. economy and default on our debts for the first time in history, it has to be part of the reconciliation package.”