OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul has carefully avoided dipping his toes into the Republican presidential primary since it began, but that has changed.
This week the Kentucky senator teased, then delivered, what he said would be an important announcement about his position in the 2024 Republican presidential primary.
His endorsement would be coveted by any Republican candidate as Paul also carries weight with many libertarians whom he could presumably bring with him to support the candidate of his choice.
In his announcement this week, the senator continued to stay mum on the idea of endorsing anyone, but he did say who he would never support.
“As I told you yesterday, I’m ready to say something about the presidential race. I’ve had a long relationship with Donald Trump, and there is a lot to like there. I’m also a big fan of a lot of the fiscal conservatism of Ron DeSantis. I think Vivek Ramaswamy has been an important voice. Also, I’ve listened to and met with the independent Bobby Kennedy,” the Kentucky Republican said.
“I’m not yet ready to make a decision, but I am ready to make a decision on someone who I can not support. I am announcing this morning that I am Never Nikki. If you go to NeverNikki.net, you can let her know that you’re not a supporter either,” he said.
“I don’t think any informed or knowledgeable libertarian or conservative should support Nikki Haley. I have seen her attitude towards our interventions overseas, and I’ve seen her involvement in the military-industrial complex. $8 million being paid to become part of the team, but I’ve also seen her indicate that she thinks you should be registered to use the internet — people posting ideas anonymously,” the senator said.
“I think she fails to understand that our republic was founded upon people like Ben Franklin, Sam Adams, Madison, John Jay, and others who, for fear of the government, posted routinely anonymously. I think her failure to really understand that, or to think that you should register through the government somehow for the internet, is something that should disqualify her in the minds of all libertarian-leaning conservatives,” he said.
Many people believe that the Republican primary is all but finished, with former President Donald Trump holding a commanding lead in the polls.
A new 2024 Iowa caucus poll by the Des Moines Register showed that the former president is miles ahead of his competition, NBC reporter Steve Kornacki said on the MSNBC show “Morning Joe.”
“35 days, or almost exactly a month, until the Iowa caucuses. This is what we’re going to show you, our brand-new NBC News/Des Moines Register poll. The Des Moines Register poll is taken by Ann Selzer. She’s known as one of the best in the business and, certainly, the authority when it comes to polling in Iowa,” he said.
“Let me show you the numbers. Republican side for the Iowa caucuses, we now have Donald Trump leading with an outright majority in Iowa, 51%. Ron DeSantis a distant second at 19%. Nikki Haley at 16%. Ramaswamy and Christie at 4,” Kornacki added.
“We last polled Iowa in October, also with the Des Moines Register. Since then, look at this, Donald Trump’s lead, he’s added eight points to his total. DeSantis up a couple. Haley, who had been moving flat, I think it’s significant because, in the month leading up to this poll, you had Ron DeSantis pick up the endorsement of the governor of Iowa, the endorsement of a key evangelical leader in Iowa,” he continued. He got a lot of press attention for completing a 99-county tour of Iowa. Had a Fox News debate against Gavin Newsom in front of millions of Republican-leaning voters, and was part of that fourth Republican debate last week that Donald Trump wasn’t in,” the reporter said.
“So for all of those things we thought might be giving DeSantis a boost over the last month, it is Trump, despite not participating in the debates again, it’s Trump who has made the big gains, Trump who has moved to 51% in the Iowa poll.
