Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul on Tuesday took aim at the rhetoric employed by Sen. Cory Booker and others, accusing them of “ratcheting up the conversation” to the point where “unstable” people could commit violence.
“I fear that there’s going to be an assassination,” Paul told Kentucky radio host Leland Conway. “I really worry that someone is going to be killed and that those who are ratcheting up the conversation, those who are saying ‘get in their face’ – they have to realize that they bear some responsibility if this elevates to violence.”
“These are people that are unstable,” Paul said. “We don’t want to encourage them. We have to somehow ratchet it down and say we’re not encouraging them that violence is ever OK or ever a reason or a means to try to resolve things.” (RELATED: Antifa Protesters Block Portland Traffic, Nearly Start Riot During Patrick Kimmons Vigil)
Directly calling out Booker, who last July told activists to “get up in the face of some congresspeople,” Paul referenced both his own assault at the hands of a neighbor as well as last year’s baseball field shooting in which Rep. Steve Scalise was wounded to show that “unstable” people can easily take things too far.
“I think what people need to realize is when people like Cory Booker say ‘get up in their face’ — he may think that that’s OK, but what he doesn’t realize is that for about every 1,000 people who might want to get up in your face, one of them is going to be unstable enough to commit violence,” said Paul.
The Kentucky senator also pointed out the “double standard” when it comes to left and right wing violence.
“If it’s an accusation with no substantiation it’s utterly to be believed,” he said, referencing the allegations against Judge Kavanaugh. “In my case it wasn’t an accusation. I actually was assaulted … and yet the media discounted that completely because they don’t like my politics. So this just shows it’s just about politics. It really isn’t about concern or people wanting to lessen violence.”
LISTEN: (Paul’s segment begins at the 9:40 mark)