Rand Paul Says Republican Sen. Pushed Donald Trump Into Venezuela Intervention

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., publicly criticized President Donald Trump over the recent U.S. intervention in Venezuela, placing blame on fellow Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, whom Paul said has influenced the president’s foreign policy direction, as reported by Fox News.

Paul’s remarks surfaced in audio shared on X by Acyn Torabi of MeidasTouch, in which the Kentucky senator said Trump is under the “thrall of Lindsey Graham” following the U.S. operation that resulted in the removal of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

The operation was carried out without a formal congressional authorization for the use of military force.

In the audio, Paul reflected on his past interactions with the Trump family during the 2016 presidential campaign, when he briefly ran for president before ending his bid.

Paul said he was drawn to Trump in part because of what he viewed as Trump’s skepticism toward foreign wars.

“It was something I liked about Donald Trump,” Paul said, recalling conversations in which the Trump family expressed admiration for the Paul family’s non-interventionist views.

Paul said that even when he had “misgivings” about Trump, he often concluded that Trump was “the best we’ve ever had” compared with past Republican leadership.

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Paul contrasted Trump’s earlier rhetoric with what he described as the foreign policy instincts of the Bush family, whom he characterized as eager to engage in overseas conflicts.

Paul said he believed Trump was different from prior Republican presidents who supported what he called “these crazy wars overseas” justified as efforts to make “the world safe for democracy.”

“And I thought Trump was different. And so it disappoints me,” Paul said, before adding that Trump is now under the “thrall of Lindsey Graham.”

Reporter: How worried are you about Lindsey Graham talking about Cuba?

Paul: There should be a law that Lindsey Graham, can only enter the White House every other week and he’s only to meet with mid level people, not the president. No more golf outings. A person so diametrically… pic.twitter.com/ifSzzCMiAY

— Acyn (@Acyn) January 5, 2026

Paul has previously described Trump’s decision to unilaterally depose Maduro without congressional approval as “disdainful.”

He reiterated those concerns in comments to reporters on Monday, as reported by The Hill, arguing that Graham has pushed Trump toward a policy of regime change that Trump himself had long criticized.

“This is Lindsey Graham,” Paul said.

“Lindsey Graham has gotten to the president who expressed — I saw a clip — there’s like 20 clips of [Trump] saying he’s not for regime change and how regime change has always gone wrong. Somehow they’ve convinced him it’s different if it’s in our hemisphere.”

Torabi also posted additional audio in which Paul joked that “there should be a law” limiting Graham’s access to the White House.

Paul suggested Graham should only be allowed to visit “every other week” and should meet only with “mid-level people, not the president,” adding, “And no more golf outings.”

Graham, a long-time advocate of a more aggressive U.S. foreign policy, has been an outspoken supporter of Trump’s actions in Venezuela.

He recently accompanied Trump during a gaggle aboard Air Force One and has publicly praised the president’s approach.

In recent days, Graham posted a photo on X showing himself smiling and giving a thumbs-up alongside Trump, who was holding a hat reading “MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN.”

Graham later wore a similar hat during an appearance on the Fox News Channel.

Trump endorsed Graham for re-election last year, further underscoring the close political relationship between the two Republican senators as divisions emerge within the party over foreign policy and executive war powers.

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