Transcript: Sen. Rand Paul on “Face the Country with Margaret Brennan,” July 13, 2025 by means of NewsFlicks

The next is the transcript of an interview with Sen. Rand Paul, Democrat of Kentucky, that aired on “Face the Country with Margaret Brennan” on July 13, 2025.

MARGARET BRENNAN: We move now to the Chair of the Place of birth Safety Committee, Senator Rand Paul, who joins us from Bowling Inexperienced, Kentucky. Excellent morning to you, Senator.

SEN. RAND PAUL: Thanks. Thanks for having

MARGARET BRENNAN: Nowadays is the one-year mark since then-candidate Trump used to be shot at in Butler, Pennsylvania. You might have launched an Responsibility File, we have now had a take a look at it, and it main points that belongings had been asked by means of the Secret Provider, together with requests remodeled the telephone, they usually had been denied. You additionally say that the previous Secret Provider director made false claims below oath when Kimberly Cheadle stated there have been no denials. Was once she misled, or are you accusing her of mendacity?

SEN. PAUL: She didn’t inform the reality. She stated that there have been no belongings that had been asked prematurely. We discovered a minimum of 4 events, in fact, perhaps 5 events, the place requests had been made. The main request that used to be made by means of each Trump’s Secret Provider element, in addition to his marketing campaign used to be for counter-snipers. Counter-snipers had been denied till Butler. So, thank God, on that day in Butler County, Pennsylvania, that used to be the primary time he used to be allowed counter-snipers. If he had no longer had counter-snipers, that murderer would have popped up again- he did pop up back to proceed firing, and that’s the reason when he used to be taken out. However, thank God we had the counter-snipers there. However why had been they denied for months and months? Once they after all did ask for them, they mysteriously, magically gave the impression. They discovered them the place they wanted them. They simply were not making an attempt exhausting sufficient. So, it used to be a cascade of mistakes. It used to be only one error after every other. Once we talked to the folk in control of safety, everyone pointed a finger at somebody else. We stated, who used to be answerable for that roof, the roof the place the murderer lay with a right away sight line. No person sought after duty. Everyone stated it used to be any individual else. There used to be numerous time to take him off the degree. The suspicious individual with the variety finder who become the shooter, again and again he used to be noticed by means of police with suspicion. That are meant to were sufficient to take the president off the degree. Even with him at the roof, there used to be a few three-minute length when he can have been taken from the degree. And but, no person used to be fired. A few of these other people may well be in control of safety for every other presidential candidate. And, in reality, that is a threat that someone- one of the most those that had been in rate at Butler, may well be in rate back. That is not proper. 

MARGARET BRENNAN: Neatly, the President United States has stated he’s happy with the solutions he is gained in regard to what went fallacious. However, again at the level about no longer telling the reality to Congress: The file discovered that there have been 10 events the place assets had been asked and denied or no longer stuffed. And, in reality, when it got here to Butler, the counter-surveillance drone request used to be remodeled the telephone. So, whilst you say somebody isn’t telling the reality, is it that there used to be no document of requests and denials? Was once this knowingly deceptive Congress? Or used to be this like a tradition of cover-up throughout the company?

SEN. PAUL  I feel it used to be a cultural cover-up for the company. They didn’t wish to assess blame. They didn’t wish to glance internally. And so they sought after to cut price any in their movements that may have ended in this. This used to be a canopy your ass form of second, and I do imagine that they did know. There is not any approach that the director of Secret Provider, that she didn’t know that those requests were made. And, so, sure, it used to be an enormous failure. And, in the event you communicate to the present head of the Secret Provider, who used to be Trump’s lead element, and Trump has an excessive amount of self assurance in, he will admit that those disasters existed. However even the disciplinary motion that they after all took. They just took as a result of I subpoenaed. I sought after to understand who used to be disciplined. We were not going to unencumber the names, however I sought after to understand who used to be disciplined and what the self-discipline used to be. They refused for a yr to inform me that. They informed me {that a} week in the past, you noticed the scoop studies, however one of the crucial other people had been simply disciplined two weeks in the past, in order that they were not going to self-discipline anyone till I subpoenaed and requested them what that they had accomplished. However, after all, no person used to be fired. The manager who heard in regards to the individual at the roof, who didn’t inform the element in an instant to take the president off the degree, there used to be a several-minute prolong there. He stayed in his process. He did retire not too long ago, however stayed in his process. So, no, I feel even the investigation by means of the Secret Provider used to be insufficient. However that is why we wish to have congressional oversight.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Are you going to request that each one, all requests for belongings be made in writing and no longer over the telephone, so other people can deny that they had been ever requested for lend a hand?

SEN. RAND PAUL: Yeah, I feel they had been made in writing as neatly, and I feel some had been made by means of telephone, however I feel those that made by means of telephone had been following up on issues they made in writing. Someone used to be simply begging for belongings. And give it some thought, President Trump has had strange rallies, it doesn’t matter what political standpoint you come back from, he has strange rallies that have strange possibility, significantly better, a lot better possibility than having, you recognize, 200 other people in an auditorium the place everyone’s totally screened and the site is protected. These items in reality take numerous element. However we requested the Secret Provider who used to be in control of that roof? How may you stroll via it 3 o’clock within the afternoon and spot that roof? No person walked via. No person used to be in rate. Everyone stated, oh, she used to be in control of the roof or he used to be in control of the roof. No person would in fact admit to be in control of safety for Butler.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So there, the large, gorgeous invoice that the president requested for provides $1.2 billion to the Secret Provider. Does cash repair that? And what do you assert to the circle of relatives member of the gentleman killed that day? Are we ever going to understand the reason of the shooter?

SEN. RAND PAUL: You understand, I feel we don’t seem to be going to understand the reason, and I take that at face worth. I do know numerous instances when we do not get one thing and we suspect one thing, we expect executive’s mendacity to us. And glance, I’ve my doubts about executive on many ranges, however I feel in this degree, they have attempted their highest and I don’t believe there is a secret solution that they are no longer revealing to us. I feel they only have no idea. What we do know is the disasters in safety, and that the Corey Comperatore can have most likely been stored by means of having higher safety that day. And this boy used to be observed 4 hours earlier than the capturing. He used to be observed back 45 mins earlier than. 3 mins earlier than the capturing the group is chanting, guy on a roof, guy on a roof. 45 seconds to move as he is assembling his gun. 45 seconds is a very long time. No person informed them to take the president off the degree. Inexcusable, horrible safety, however whoever is in rate will have to were fired, and in reality will have to by no means be in control of this sort of, or have this sort of duty back.

MARGARET BRENNAN: At the query of forewarning, however on a distinct subject. This Friday is the cut-off date for each the Senate and Space to vote on a plan to claw again about $9 billion for international support, together with additionally toughen for NPR and PBS. A few of your fellow Republicans, like Rounds like Murkowski and Collins, have stated they’re frightened about cuts to native radio and public broadcasters of their spaces. We regarded and on your state of Kentucky, public broadcasters supply essential emergency warnings for the federal government if there is a hurricane, as an example. Are you involved that most of these cuts are going to hazard other people?

SEN. RAND PAUL: You understand, I were given my get started on public tv, KET in Kentucky, being a commentator for my taxpayer team that I began. So, you recognize, I’m really not an enemy of public TV, however on the similar time we’ve got a $2 trillion deficit, and what we’re going to be introduced with is a $9 billion minimize in spending. And are we able to, and will have to we a minimum of get started chopping 9 billion? Sure, if I had my druthers and I may plan it, and I may provide the bundle, I love the theory of around the board cuts of a smaller proportion. So as a substitute of taking 100% of public TV, what you do is you are taking 6% of the entirety. However the one approach that works is you actually need to take 6% of each buck, after which it’s a must to determine the best way to make it paintings so it isn’t absorbed by means of the deficient or the needy in our nation. And you must do this. With a penny plan, you’ll stability your price range inside six, inside 5 years, nevertheless it takes an actual 6% minimize of the entirety. However I feel persons are extra prepared to simply accept a haircut on issues they prefer if everyone is accepting the similar form of degree of minimize.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So are you pronouncing there that you’re nonetheless going to vote for this? Are there 51 Republicans who’re going to vote to chop all this investment and pull it again?

SEN. RAND PAUL: I think it’ll be very shut. I have no idea if it’ll be changed prematurely, however I will be able to’t in reality in truth glance American citizens within the face and say that I’ll be doing one thing in regards to the deficit if I will be able to’t minimize 9 billion. Even if there are individuals who make arguments for it, and I will be able to make a controversy for a distinct strategy to minimize it, we are going to be introduced with a $9 billion minimize and a $2.2 trillion deficit. So we need to minimize spending. Completely have to chop spending.

MARGARET BRENNAN: And a document spice up to the debt ceiling that simply took place within the invoice you didn’t vote for, however Republicans did. Senator Paul, thanks on your time nowadays. We will be proper again.