Republican Kentucky Senator and presidential candidate Rand Paul has walked back his Sunday comments on the Senate floor that his opponents secretly want a terrorist attack on the United States, saying on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom” that they were “hyperbole” and a “mistake.”
“’Some of them I think secretly want there to be an attack on the United States,’” host Bill Hemmer quoted Monday morning. “To whom were you referring?”
“I think sometimes in the heat of battle, hyperbole can get the better of anyone,” Paul responded. “And that may be the problem there.”
“The point I was trying to make is that I think people do use fear to try to get us to give up our liberty,” he continued. “This was the whole thing that Benjamin Franklin debated, whether or not we should trade our liberty for security and sometimes get neither.” (VIDEO: Rand Paul: ‘Hawks In My Party’ Are To Blame For ISIS)
“But do you take back that statement you just said, when you say, ‘I think some secretly want there to be attack on United States,’ so they can blame you?” Hemmer pressed.
“I think sometimes going after people’s motives and impugning people’s motives is a mistake. And in the heat of battle I think sometimes hyperbole can get better of all of us. I think the general idea that people use fear– and I think they do use fear…”
“So are you standing by that or not?” Hemmer pressed once again. “I’m just trying to nail that down. Do you retract that now?”
Paul was more direct in his answer, while still falling short of an apology. “I think calling it hyperbole, that means I may have exaggerated the case.” (VIDEO: Megyn Kelly And Rand Paul Get In Heated Debate Over Patriot Act)
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