Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (R) shared a prediction on what he believes will happen to a key policy from the president he likened to a “royal edict.”
The fact that President Donald Trump has concluded little more than the first half of the first year of his second administration wasn’t enough to stave off questions of legacy, given the window of opportunity granted to him. When presented with potential defining aspects of the current presidency, Paul took to challenging the scope in which tariffs were being wielded, as he believes debate about Trump will revolve around “executive power.”
Joining Russel Brand on his Rumble podcast in an episode titled, “Trump, Tariffs & The Tyranny of Centralized Power,” the senator was asked at the onset, “Do you think that the Big Beautiful Act, as it is now, is what will come to define Donald Trump’s presidency? Or will it be the Epstein list that — which has for me become a kind of synecdoche now rather than an actual list that means are you any different from the former administration?”
In response, Paul began, “I think if we step back and we look at the Trump administration and Trump in history, the big debate will be over executive power. And this isn’t a new debate. We had it with the kings of England. We tried to form a republic where we limited the power of the executive.”
I asked whether Trump’s legacy will be the Big Beautiful Act…or the Epstein list.@RandPaul says it’s bigger than both. Trump expanded executive power like a king, imposing tariffs without Congress. If the courts don’t stop it, history will remember that. pic.twitter.com/S5jFYa4h60
— Russell Brand (@rustyrockets) August 2, 2025
“But Donald Trump has grabbed up a lot of executive power and is operating through emergency. So basically, one of the big items I think he will be remembered for is tariffs,” continued the Kentucky lawmaker. “But it’s not tariffs being done through Congress, it’s tariffs being done by royal edict or executive edict.”
Addressing the legal challenges that have been brought against the way Trump has utilized tariffs as a type of sanction against other nations, Paul opined, “On the issue of tariffs, I think the court will ultimately rule against him. But I think the entire regime of tariffs that is out there, there’s a possibility that the legal rug is torn out from under them, and that there will be a legal prohibition on what he’s doing. That would be extraordinary. I don’t think many people are talking about it.”
Later in the podcast, the senator used the example of Apple to make the case against tariffs as, “Ultimately, they’re taxes on Americans.”
As had been reported, Trump told the press about his opinion of Apple CEO Tim Cook furthering operations in India rather than the United States, and how tariffs were brought into the discussion to encourage greater investment in America.
While Paul also made the case that the average consumer would take the brunt of tariffs, suggesting if prices were raised at retail giants like Walmart through import taxes being passed down because there wasn’t an alternative for affordability, reactions on social media from supporters of the president called out Congress, and the congressman in particular, over a purported record of inaction.
Rand Paul was perfectly fine with trade deals that screwed America over.
— Kate (@kate_p45) August 3, 2025
When they’re not complaining about executive power, legislators are happy to pass the buck to the executive branch so they can avoid responsibility for doing their jobs.
— N.S. Palmer (@0uBoosts) August 3, 2025
If Congress wants to stop the tariffs, they can narrow the law. Why have the courts do the job of Congress?
— Keith McGuinness (@KPMcGuinness) August 3, 2025
Rand Paul should spend his time trying to help… not sideline attempts to save America.
— cagrown5 (@cagrown5) August 2, 2025
Congress can’t even get nominations through so I’m not really inclined to rely on them
— Cryssie (@CryssieGA) August 3, 2025
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Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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