WAR OF WORDS

Rand Paul Fires Back: McCain ‘Unhinged,’ ‘Past His Prime’

In response to McCain saying Paul now works for Putin.

After being called a Russian operative by Sen. John McCain from the Senate floor on Wednesday afternoon, Sen. Rand Paul finally returned fire Thursday morning, calling his colleague “unhinged” and “past his prime.” After objecting to a measure advancing Montenegro’s bid for NATO membership, Paul exited the Senate chambers Wednesday afternoon, prompting McCain to say that the Kentucky senator “is now working for Vladimir Putin.” Paul’s initial comment on the attack was policy-focused, but the following morning he appeared on MSNBC and gave a more forthright response: “I think he makes a really, really strong case for term limits. I think maybe he’s past his prime, maybe he’s gotten unhinged.” The senator then referenced a Mother Jones article rating each country McCain has wanted to attack with between 1 to 5 “Angry McCains.” The Arizona senator’s “foreign policy would greatly endanger the United States and overextend us,” Paul added.

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