Quotes from Rand Paul

I think we can all agree [Bashar] Assad is a bad and evil actor, but I'm not so sure that we want the Islamic rebels to be in charge of Syria either.

There are still people - the majority on the stage, they want to topple [Bashar] Assad. And then there will be chaos, and I think ISIS will then be in charge of Syria.

The great and abiding lesson of American history, particularly the Cold War, is that the engine of capitalism - the individual - is mightier than any collective.

I think a policy of isolationism toward Cuba is misplaced and hasn't worked.

We still need to be conscious of the fact that Russia has intercontinental ballistic missiles.

I think every day we look at the mess of the chaos of the civil war in Iraq, I think every day people become more and more convinced that the war was a mistake. I think we have to learn from the mistakes of our past.

If you hear me out, I believe you'll discover that what motivates me more than any other issue is the defense of everyone's rights.

People say America is exceptional. I agree, but it's not the complexion of our skin or the twists in our DNA that make us unique. America is exceptional because we were founded upon the notion that everyone should be free to pursue life, liberty, and happiness.

I think when we think about the judgment of someone who might want World War III, we might think about someone who might shut down a bridge because they don't like their friends.

The Constitution's pretty clear. The Federalist papers are pretty clear... They very specifically delegated the power to declare war to Congress. They wanted this to be a congressional decision; they did not want war to be engaged in by the executive without approval of Congress.

The Republican platform specifically says we don't believe in bailing out private business, and yet we did.

I never, ever cheated [in medical school]. I don't condone cheating. But I would sometimes spread misinformation. This is a great tactic. Misinformation can be very important.

I don't want to live in a nanny state where people are telling me where I can go and what I can do.

We must always embrace individual liberty and enforce the constitutional rights of all Americans-rich and poor, immigrant and native, black and white.

Black unemployment is twice white unemployment and has been for decade after decade.

It is illegal for the CIA to spy on Americans and an affront to our Republic to spy on the Senate.

I'm not against the NSA. I'm not against spying; I'm not against looking at phone records.

I don't think it's hypothetical whether or not it's a good idea to topple secular dictators in the Middle East and hope to get a good outcome and hope that stability comes thereafter.

You need to have people within your own party that have the wherewithal to stand up to you.

I think people are hungry for someone who will stand up on principle.

I need to be very careful about going on certain networks that seem to have a bias.

In our state, I'm really proud of the fact that the ones who overturned Jim Crow in Kentucky were Republicans fighting against an entirely unified Democrat Party. So I am proud to be Republican. I can't imagine being anything else.

The Ukraine has a long history of either being part of the Soviet Union or within that sphere.

The biggest thing I've learned from my dad is he's had adoring crowds of 8,000 at Berkeley, and 6,000 at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University. That's an amazing feat to have people coming out in one of the most liberal universities and one of the most conservative.