Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) didn’t hold back Thursday morning on Fox & Friends, calling out former President Donald Trump over a spending bill that would significantly increase the national debt ceiling — to the tune of $5 trillion.
Paul, known for his staunch fiscal conservatism, described the proposal as a betrayal of core conservative values, particularly for those who have long pushed for smaller government and responsible spending.
“It’s really a slap in the face at those of us who are excited about Elon Musk and DOGE and all the cuts. Where are the cuts?” Paul said. “If the cuts are real, why are we going to borrow five trillion?”
The discussion kicked off after co-host Ainsley Earhardt played a recent clip from Sean Hannity’s interview with President Trump, where Trump touted the bill’s provision that could slash prescription drug prices.
“I think a lot of Democrats are going to be forced to vote for the bill,” Trump said. “You’re going to get a 50 to 90 percent reduction in prescription drugs and pharmaceuticals… I think Republicans are very unified and something would happen where they will get this vote.”
The idea, according to Trump, is that the drug price cuts will be politically irresistible — even for Democrats — and that Republicans will come together to pass it.
But Rand Paul isn’t buying it. For him, the issue isn’t about party unity or electoral politics — it’s about the nation’s long-term financial health.
Paul laid out his concerns plainly: the proposed deal would raise the national debt by a record-setting $5 trillion.
“The problem is, is it’s asking conservatives, like myself, to raise the debt ceiling 5 trillion dollars. That’s historic. No one’s ever raised the debt so that much.”
He pointed out that this year’s deficit alone is projected to exceed $2 trillion, with expectations of nearly $3 trillion next year.
That kind of deficit, Paul warned, is unsustainable — and certainly not what voters expect from a Republican-led government.
Instead of a long-term hike in the debt ceiling, Paul proposed a more cautious approach: a temporary increase paired with accountability.
“So what I proposed was this. I put forward a proposal and we voted on it to raise the debt ceiling for three months.”
In Paul’s view, a short-term raise would give Congress time to come back to the table, cut wasteful spending, and avoid recklessly piling on debt that future generations will have to pay.
Rand Paul’s biggest frustration is that while the bill promises benefits — like lower drug prices — it lacks serious spending cuts.
He, like many other fiscal hawks, wants to see Republicans return to the principles that first energized the Tea Party movement and drove GOP wins in years past: fiscal discipline, smaller government, and real reform.
As the debate continues over this spending bill, the tension between Trump’s political strategy and conservatives’ economic principles is becoming more pronounced.
Paul’s message is clear: you can’t keep borrowing like this and still call it conservative.
