Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky made a stark assessment of what will define President Donald Trump’s legacy, saying the president amassing “executive power” could be what people remember most about his time in office.
Comedian Russell Brand began the interview on Rumble by asking Paul whether the Big Beautiful Bill, the Epstein files, or something else entirely will be what defines Trump’s presidency.
“I think if we step back and we look at the Trump administration and Trump in history, the big debate will be over executive power,” said the senator. “And this isn’t a new debate. We had it with the Kings of England. We tried to form a republic where we limited the power of the executive.”
“But Donald Trump has grabbed up a lot of executive power and is operating through emergency,” he added. “So basically, one of the big items I think he will be remembered for is tariffs. But it’s not tariffs being done through Congress, it’s tariffs being done by royal edict or executive edict.”
“I think the court will ultimately rule against him,” said Paul, an avowed libertarian. “There’s a possibility that the legal rug is torn out from under them and that there will be a legal prohibition on what he’s doing. That would be extraordinary. I don’t think many people are talking about it.”
The senator went on to argue that American consumers end up paying for any tariffs, not the American companies and not the country that the tariffs are directed at.
“Ultimately, they’re taxes on Americans,” said Paul, who added later in the Rumble appearance that Trump is the best person to “interrupt the military-industrial complex.”
Paul also criticized the “unfairness of the lawfare against Trump.”
However, he also faced criticism from many for his comments about a Trump power grab.
“He has every right to impose tariffs,” said one X user.
“Rand Paul was perfectly fine with trade deals that screwed America over,” another added.
