Sen. Rand Paul explains why he wants the Epstein files released, lays out his case against Trump’s tariffs and military strikes in Venezuela, and argues that he and Rep. Thomas Massie are the last voices in Congress still committed to libertarian ideals.

https://reason.com/podcast/2025/11/20/rand-paul-congress-is-afraid-of-the-president/

The Reason Interview with Nick Gillespie goes deep with the artists, entrepreneurs, and politicians who are defining the 21st century in terms of individual freedom and autonomy.

Today's guest is Sen. Rand Paul, the libertarian-leaning Republican from Kentucky. He talks about why he cosponsored legislation to release all of the Jeffrey Epstein files, how President Donald Trump's tariffs and bombing of Venezuelan boats are bad policy and unconstitutional, and why fellow Republicans like Vice President J.D. Vance are Luddites and nostalgia merchants who want to regulate free markets to death.

Paul, the subject of a 2014 New York Times Magazine article titled "Has the 'Libertarian Moment' Finally Arrived?", also talks with Gillespie about his plans for a 2028 presidential run, the enduring anti-war legacy of his father Ron Paul, and why he believes that he and Rep. Thomas Massie (R–Ky.) are the only members of Congress who have stayed true to the Tea Party's commitment to lower spending and smaller government.


0:00 —Releasing the Epstein files

2:32 —Tariffs and protectionist propaganda

6:29 —The economic policies of the GOP

11:32 —Military strikes on Venezuela

13:27 —Foreign intervention

15:16 —Military aid and arms deals

19:38 —Congressional spending and the debt

22:04 —Federal hemp ban

23:30 —What's happened to the Tea Party?

26:00 —Will Paul run for president again?