Fox News "The Story" - Transcript: Interview with Sen. Rand Paul
Interview
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MARTHA MACCALLUM, FOX NEWS CHANNEL HOST: Thank you, Bret, good evening. All right. So, we begin with a Fox News Alert. Mike Pompeo, President Trump's pick for Secretary of State barely avoiding a rare rebuke from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after some unexpected last-minute drama on both sides of the aisle. Senator Rand Paul reversed course and voted "yes" to recommend Pompeo for Secretary of State, but that left the vote with a 10-10 tie, which is essentially a fail. It was Democratic Senator Chris Coons who handed the Republicans a victory by changing his no vote to present, making the final tally, 11-9 -- that's how things work in the Senate committees. Kentucky Senator Rand Paul joins me now. Senator, good to have you with us tonight. You know, first question, what changed your mind when you met with Mike Pompeo?
SEN. RAND PAUL, R--KENTUCKY: You know, one of the things I've always like about President Trump was that he's unequivocally said the Iraq war was a mistake. What I've been concerned about with Director Pompeo is I wasn't sure if he shared the president's vision. Because, you know, the Iraq war and regime change led to a lot of chaos in the Middle East, same thing happened in Libya when we did regime change. And so, I want whoever is to secretary of state to understand where President Trump is coming from. And so, last week, the president asked me to meet with Director Pompeo, and I have respect for the president, I did meet with him. Then, we talked again today, I talked to the president several times, and the president reiterated in strong very terms that we've been at war in too many places for too long. And I think the president's going to surprise a lot of people by really, really trying hard to get us extricated from some of these wars.
MACCALLUM: Did he assure that he would leave Syria?
PAUL: I think it wasn't so much specific on timetables and places. But I would tell you that the president and I share a great deal when we talk about the desire to bring some of our troops home and to have our troops protecting our country and not spread out across the world. And so, you think you'd be surprised when you see and hear the conversation between the two of us. And really, I've always been an advocate -- I mean, Trump was probably the closest to me on foreign policy of any of the other 16 running. And so, I've always been advocate and a supporter of the president on this, and I want to make sure the people around him share his vision. And over time, I'm coming to believe that, and hopeful, you know, that Director Pompeo does share that vision. But the president told me one way or another, it's his vision and he's not going to be persuaded to start more land wars and have hundreds of thousands of troops in the Middle East.
MACCALLUM: We will see. You know, President Macron is there right now trying to convince him that he should not leave Syria and that he should not pull out of the Iran deal. But I want to ask you about this, because President Trump said the other day, Rand Paul is a good man, he never lets me down. And obviously, in your home state of Kentucky, it's a good move to support the president. Did either one of those things weigh on you?
PAUL: Not so much. I mean, what really weighs on me are the wars and all the young men and women who have been injured in our wars. My wife and I worked to try to help some of these severely injured veterans, and my heart goes out to them. And I just see that now, people are admitting, Pompeo and the president are admitting there's not a military solution in Afghanistan. I just can't send one more soldier. So, really, it's my voice and having that voice, and using that voice to try to end these wars that motivates me, not political considerations.
MACCALLUM: There were also critics who said that perhaps you didn't want to be the only member of the GOP to vote to approve John Kerry and not approve Mike Pompeo.
PAUL: I've been by myself before and I'm not afraid to be by myself when the cause is just and the cause is right. And I think in the cause of war, there aren't enough voices to say we've been at war for too long, and that we need to vote on it in Congress. So, I'm very proud of where I am on that. I haven't changed my position at all on that. I just -- discussing with president, I believe even more strongly that the president shares my vision that the wars have gone on too long.
MACCALLUM: So, it sounds like you would be very surprised if Emmanuel Macron could convince the president that he needs to keep a presence on the ground with our military in Syria longer term. That would surprise you?
PAUL: Well, I think if -- yes, if we're there five years from now with 50,000 troops, I'd be aghast and I couldn't believe that it would happen under President Trump. I think the president does want to draw down the troops. And it's a complicated dance to figure out how and when to do that, and how fast to do it? But I don't he accepts what the neoconservatives say. The neoconservatives say, if you ever leave, it's defeat; the other side will win, and we must stay everywhere forever. And that's just plain wrong; we can't afford to do it. The president shares with me that we need to build some things at home: we need to build some bridges, and some roads at home, and we can't keep spending $50 billion a year in Afghanistan.
MACCALLUM: Senator, thank you very much. Good to see you tonight.
PAUL: Thank you.
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