Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has made a 2024 presidential campaign announcement, but it was not an endorsement as much as a warning to his supporters to avoid former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who he rejects as a war hawk and someone who has advocated against free speech on the Internet.
"As I look over the field, I don't think I yet have a first choice, but I do know one thing: Count me in as #NeverNikki!" Paul wrote on X, posting a video announcing his anti-Haley movement with a social media hashtag.
Paul's first objection is Haley's interventionist foreign policy positions and "her involvement in the military industrial complex."
"I'm announcing this morning, I'm NeverNikki," Paul said in the video he released Friday morning. "If you go to NeverNikki.net, you can let her know that you're not a supporter either.
"I don't think any informed or knowledgeable libertarian or conservative should support Nikki Haley. I've seen her attitudes toward our interventions overseas. I've seen her involvement in the military industrial complex, $8 million to become part of a team."
But, also, as a noted libertarian-leaning conservative, Paul said he cannot support Haley because she has in the past called for internet social media companies to register users in a verification process to strike at anonymous speech online.
"But I've also seen her indicate you should be registered to use the internet –– that people posting ideas anonymously –– I think she fails to understand that our republic was founded upon people like Ben Franklin, Sam Adams, Madison, John Jay, and others who posted routinely –– for fear of the government –– they posted routinely anonymously," Paul continued in his video.
"And I think her failure to really understand that, 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.
"So I'm announcing today I'm NeverNikki, and you can go to NeverNikki.net and sign up and show her you're NeverNikki also."
Paul expressed some measure of support for Haley's three chief Iowa caucus rivals, former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
"I've been watching the GOP Primary closely for a while now, and I like various aspects of several candidates — Republicans like President @realDonaldTrump, Governor @RonDeSantis, and @VivekGRamaswamy," Paul also posted to X, adding in an ensuing post: "I'm interested in the ideas of some independents too, such as @RobertKennedyJr."
But, as his video began, Paul left open the possibility for any of the above to receive his endorsement against President Joe Biden.
"I am ready to say something about the presidential race," Paul's video opened. "I've had a long relationship with Donald Trump and there's 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's been an important voice. Also, I've listened and met with the independent Bobby Kennedy.
"I'm not yet ready to make a decision, but I am ready to make a decision on someone I cannot support."
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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