CNN Host Asks Rand Paul if He and Liz Cheney Are In a ‘Butt-Kissing Contest’ for Trump’s Favor
Who in Congress can suck up to President Trump the most? It is a fairly obvious question for anyone who watches Congress closely. But rarely does the media ask any congressperson about it with the directness Brianna Keilar did on Thursday, when she asked Sen. Rand Paul if he and Liz Cheney are locked in a “butt-kissing contest” over President Trump.
Since Wednesday, Paul and Cheney have been sniping at each other on Twitter. The issue? From Cheney’s point of view, it is Hey Rand Paul, why are you such a war-hating wimp? From Paul’s point of view, it is Hey Liz Cheney, if you love war so much why don’t you marry it?
I agree! Why do some neocons continue to advocate for endless wars? I stand with @realdonaldtrump on ending wars. Let’s focus on America First, not Afghanistan!https://t.co/fyBUbb8Fgf
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) September 11, 2019
I stand with @realDonaldTrump and our men and women in uniform who will never surrender to terrorists, unlike @RandPaul, who seems to have forgotten that today is 9/11. https://t.co/P0Ok2w48d5
— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) September 12, 2019
Hi @Liz_Cheney, President @realDonaldTrump hears all your NeverTrump warmongering. We all see your pro-Bolton blather. I’m just grateful for a president who, unlike you, supports stopping these endless wars.
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) September 12, 2019
On CNN, Keilar gave Paul a chance to ramble a bit about why he felt it important to call out Cheney:
“They hate President Trump’s foreign policy, they want to stay in Afghanistan forever. They’re apologizing for John Bolton, they love John Bolton. Really, they’re part of this foreign policy swamp that has been trying to undermine President Trump. So people of Wyoming and people across the United States need to know that the Cheneys are Never Trumpers.”
It was this blatant appeal to Donald Trump on the off-chance he was watching her show instead of Fox, along with both Cheney and Paul tagging him in their tweets, that got to Keilar. So she asked Paul, “Do you worry that it’s devolving a bit into this butt-kissing contest that’s a little unbecoming of two members of Congress?”
Paul responded that he thinks the debate over keeping U.S. troops in Afghanistan is a very important one for both the GOP and the country that is still “throwing $50 billion a year down a rat hole” to stay engaged there.
Incredibly, Cheney and Paul spent most of the afternoon after Paul’s appearance on CNN continuing to snipe at each other like rival high school cheerleaders:
Hi @RandPaul I know the 2016 race was painful for you since you were such a big loser (then & now) with a dismal 4.5% in Iowa. No surprise since your motto seems to be “Terrorists First, America Second.”
Here’s a TBT courtesy of @realDonaldTrump. No truer words were ever spoken https://t.co/7MIM31ZuKl
— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) September 12, 2019
Weird. I don’t see you on stage here, @RandPaul.
Oh, right. My bad – you had already lost. #weirdRand https://t.co/mAVkH2VtC6
— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) September 12, 2019
When @realdonaldtrump questioned NATO, once again @Liz_Cheney came out swinging, calling the president Wrong. #WarmongerCheneys #NeverTrumpCheneys https://t.co/rQA55Q54A8
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) September 12, 2019
When @realdonaldTrump declared his desire to get out of Afghanistan, after 18 years of losing blood and treasure, and countless sacrifices. Well, you know who was against it. @Liz_Cheney #WarmongerCheneys #NeverTrumpCheneys https://t.co/ccJBqQ0YHz
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) September 12, 2019
The respect and dignity of our magnificent Congress at work really brings a tear to the eye.
Watch the video above, via CNN.
