Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) welcomed the trucker convoy protesting COVID-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions to come to the United States, saying he’s “all for” peaceful protest and hopes the truckers “clog up cities.”
“I’m all for it,” Paul said during an interview with The Daily Signal on Thursday. “Civil disobedience is a time-honored tradition in our country, from slavery to civil rights, you name it. Peaceful protest, clog things up, make people think about the mandates.”
“And some of this, we started,” he continued. “We put [COVID-19] mandates on truckers coming across the border from Canada so then they put mandates on, and the truckers are annoyed. They’re riding in a cab by themselves, most of them for eight, 10-hour long hauls, and they just want to do what they want to do. It’s their own business.”
The department said “the convoy could severely disrupt transportation, federal government, and law enforcement operations through gridlock and potential counterprotests.”
“I hope the truckers do come to America,” Paul said, arguing that healthcare used to be “your own business” and healthcare decisions were made between a patient and his doctor.
“It’d be great, but the thing is, it wouldn’t shut the city down because the government workers haven’t come to work in two years anyway,” he quipped. “I don’t know if it’ll affect D.C. It’d be a nice change. We’d actually have some traffic.”
“I hope they clog up cities,” Paul continued. “And we’re seeing a break in the dam now. Several Democratic governors are finally sort of relinquishing.”
Paul’s comments come as President Joe Biden’s Department of Homeland Security warns U.S. law enforcement and other public safety officials nationwide that a trucker convoy protesting COVID-19 mandates may hit the nation’s capital on February 13.
“What they’re finding is, moms and dads are upset about this,” Paul added. “They’re not just Republican. Everybody’s upset about this. They’re annoyed that their little kids have to be in a mask.”
Paul also called out House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for shutting down the United States Capitol for “God knows what reason.”
Paul said “even CNN” has started “admitting the truth” about masking and other pandemic restrictions.
“Even CNN, you got the Dr. Fauci acolyte, that woman’s like, ‘Oh, facial masks are now just simply decorations.’ She’s admitting the truth. That’s what they’ve been the whole time, but she’s finally admitting it,” Paul said. “So even people who only watch CNN are finally getting the understanding that the masks don’t work and they’re starting to push back too.”
