Democrats have been "whining" for the past year that they lost the White House because of Russian interference, but with the news concerning a dossier compiled on now-President Donald Trump, it looks like they were responsible for the actions they blamed on Republicans, Sen. Rand Paul said Wednesday.
"Amazes me for a year the Democrats have been whining, whining, saying they lost to the Russians," the Kentucky Republican told Fox News' "Fox & Friends" program. "It is their subterfuge, their buying dossier."
There are also rumors that the leaks revealed through WikiLeaks from then-nominee Hillary Clinton's emails came from Democrats as well, said Paul.
"Everything blamed on Republicans looks like what they were responsible for," said Paul, also a presidential candidate in 2016.
Campaigns do opposition research on both sides, he said, but the problem this time is that it is distracting the whole country," the senator said. "We're spending millions and millions of dollars on committee investigations, special prosecutors, all because Hillary Clinton can't admit she lost because she was a bad candidate."
Meanwhile, Fusion GPS, which conducted the research into Trump, had initially been hired an anonymous GOP donor, sources told The Washington Post, but Paul insisted Wednesday that he didn't hire the firm and he doesn't know who did.
"It might have been one of other primary candidates," said Paul. "There were 16 of them. All I can say it wasn't me.
Paul also commented about the dramatic speech Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., gave on Tuesday while announcing his retirement, saying that he has a different take on Trump, but he's not afraid to oppose him.
"You know I try to keep it more about policy," said Paul. "Look, I've been willing to go stand toe-to-toe with the president when I disagree with him on policy but I'm willing to support the president when I agree on policy like cutting taxes. I think the president is one of the boldest people we had in the White House on cutting taxes. I will support him there. That doesn't mean I will always support him."
However, Paul said he does not make his opposition about Trump's character, but more about policy.
"That is like a little pot calling the kettle black," said Paul. "'Oh, somehow I'm so perfect, I can criticize another person's character.'"
Paul said he's had "honest disagreements" with the president, but he's still on "very good terms" with him "because I treat the person and office with respect. I'm willing to go toe-to -toe if there is policy disagreement."
At the end of the day, Americans want tax cuts and jobs, and don't care as much about personalities, said Paul.
"This is 'People' magazine saga," Paul said.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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