Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul said front-runner Donald Trump might be better off trying to join the Democrats in a debate, knocking the businessman for his past liberal positions.
“He has brought the debate, the presidential debate, the tenor of the debate to an historic low,” Paul told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota Thursday on “New Day.” “Maybe (he’s) afraid of the fact that he’s never voted in a Republican presidential primary. For 70 years, he’s been a progressive Democrat. I was wondering if maybe he’s going to show up for the Democrat primary debate next time.”
The senator said Trump wants to avoid discussing his business bankruptcies and desire to expand the power of the presidency.
“I think he does want to avoid difficult questions. And I think he’s used to getting his way,” Paul said.
The Kentucky senator said Trump’s decision to ditch Thursday’s Fox News Debate is very different from his own decision to not participate in a recent GOP debate.
“It’s kind of the opposite actually,” Paul said. “I was lobbying to get in the debate and he’s running away from the debate. I was never lobbying to avoid questions from a tough questioner.”
Paul boycotted the last Republican event earlier this month because Fox Business Network assigned him to the “undercard” stage based on polling criteria.
Trump, however, pulled out of Fox News’ GOP debate after the network declined to remove moderator Megyn Kelly from the stage as Trump requested and sent out a sarcastic press release. Her tough questioning of him in a previous debate makes her “biased,” Trump claimed.
Paul said Trump’s personal attacks on Kelly are “inappropriate” to repeat in “mixed company” or on television.
Paul acknowledged that with Trump’s absence, he will spend much of his time going after rival Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.
“I think he does have an authenticity problem, particularly with liberty voters,” Paul said of Cruz. “This is sort of his shtick in Washington and goes to the problems he has in Washington. He creates these false narratives.”