Texas Republican Rep. Ron Paul hinted at the possibility of a 2016 presidential run during an appearance on Jay Leno’s “The Tonight Show” Tuesday.
After he announced that he will not be running as a third-party candidate in November, he joked, “I have to take a rest and prepare for 2016.”
Does the 77-year-old have yet another presidential run in him?
That’s what Paul’s supporters are hoping, who welcomed the retiring congressman to the stage by chanting “President Paul! President Paul!” Paul sat down with Leno to discuss last week’s Republican National Convention, as well as the upcoming presidential election.
He acknowledged Romney’s convention speech was “nice” and “pleasant,” but also admitted, “that probably wasn’t the speech I would have given.”
Then, when asked about Clint Eastwood’s RNC speech, during which the actor talked to an empty chair, Paul added, “I probably wouldn’t have given that one either.”
Paul did praise Eastwood for criticizing President Barack Obama and bringing military issues back into national discourse.
So far, Paul has refused to endorse a presidential candidate, and when asked if he would have been given a speaking role at the RNC had he endorsed Mitt Romney, Paul responded, “I imagine I would have.” (SEE ALSO: Ron Paul ‘will not endorse Gary Johnson’)
Paul was Romney’s last-standing rival for the 2012 Republican nomination. In 2008 he also sought the GOP nomination, and in 1988 he was the Libertarian Party’s presidential candidate.
Still, Paul assures to be as outspoken as ever, telling Leno, “We still need a lot of people talking about issues, as a matter of fact, we might even keep talking about the Federal Reserve system and things like that.”