Trump slams Sen. Rand Paul over opposition to tax and spending bill, calls him a habitual "no" vote without solutions.

Intraparty Tensions Rise Over Budget Deal

President Donald Trump has launched a pointed attack on Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky over his opposition to the administration’s signature tax and spending bill, known as the “big, beautiful bill” or BBB. The confrontation unfolded publicly on Tuesday when Trump took to TRUTH Social to criticize Paul’s stance as obstructionist and uninformed.

“Rand Paul has very little understanding of the BBB, especially the tremendous GROWTH that is coming,” Trump wrote. “He loves voting ‘NO’ on everything… The BBB is a big WINNER!”

The president’s criticism escalated with accusations that Paul lacks constructive ideas and is disconnected from his own constituents. “Rand votes NO on everything, but never has any practical or constructive ideas. His ideas are actually crazy (losers!). The people of Kentucky can’t stand him,” Trump added.

Paul, one of at least four Republican senators voicing concern over the bill, argues that the proposed legislation would add $5 trillion to the national debt. Speaking with Breitbart News, he said, “That’s a hard place for me… I support much of what’s in the bill… but I can’t reconcile myself to adding $5 trillion in debt, raising the debt ceiling.”

He further warned that next year’s budget deficit could surpass $3 trillion and criticized Republicans for continuing Biden-era spending levels. Paul emphasized the risk of the GOP becoming solely responsible for the national debt if the bill passes with a debt ceiling increase.

“My fear is that when this bill passes the ramifications a year out, two years out, will be, ‘My goodness, what happened to DOGE? What happened to the spending cuts?’” Paul said, referencing the Department of Government Efficiency’s prior reform efforts.

Despite his reservations, Paul affirmed his broader support for Trump’s presidency and policies. “I’m his biggest defender on foreign policy. But at the same time I want conservative government so I have to fight for what I believe in,” he wrote on X.

GOP Leaders Seek Unity Before July Vote

As debate continues, Senate Majority Leader John Thune confirmed that GOP senators are aiming to approve the bill by July 4. Thune and Trump met at the White House Monday to refine the party’s legislative strategy. Thune emphasized that the package will focus on “extending tax relief for hardworking Americans and strengthening our border, energy, and national security.”

Meanwhile, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri revealed that Trump personally assured him Medicaid benefits would remain untouched in the Senate version of the bill. Hawley has advocated for removing deep healthcare cuts from the House draft and suggested closing tax loopholes for high earners instead.

While the White House promotes the BBB as a comprehensive correction to Biden-era policy failures, internal GOP divisions pose a challenge to finalizing the deal. The coming weeks will test party unity and determine whether Trump’s sweeping proposal secures enough support to become law.