President Donald Trump said that “of course” Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) is invited to the annual White House picnic after the Kentucky Republican complained he was “uninvited” from the event.
On Wednesday, Paul said he called the White House to secure tickets to the annual picnic but was told he was not invited. The lawmaker called the move “incredibly petty,” saying he was uninvited from the affair due to his opposition to the president’s sweeping tax cuts bill that is being debated in the Senate.
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However, hours after Paul’s outburst to reporters, Trump posted to Truth Social welcoming the senator to the picnic. The president suggested that the event would be a prime opportunity for Trump to speak to Paul and convince him to back the “big beautiful bill. “
“Of course Senator Rand Paul and his beautiful wife and family are invited to the BIG White House Party tonight,” Trump wrote, adding that he “looks forward to seeing Rand.”
“He’s the toughest vote in the history of the U.S. Senate, but why wouldn’t he be? Besides, it gives me more time to get his Vote on the Great, Big, Beautiful Bill, one of the greatest and most important pieces of legislation ever put before our Senators & Congressmen/women. It will help to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” the president continued.
The annual picnic is a decadeslong tradition enjoyed by congressional lawmakers.
It is unclear whether Paul was invited all along and the confusion was due to an administrative error, or if Trump decided to personally invite the senator after hearing his story yesterday. The Washington Examiner reached out to the White House for comment.
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Paul, who has threatened to vote against the tax bill over concerns it is fiscally irresponsible and would raise the national debt, said Wednesday that when he called the White House for tickets, he was not offered an explanation for the rescinded invitation. He also noted he was unsure who at the White House made the decision.
“They’re afraid of what I’m saying, so they think they’re going to punish me, I can’t go to the picnic, as if somehow that’s going to make me more conciliatory,” Paul said. “I just find this incredibly petty. I have been, I think, nothing but polite to the president. I have been an intellectual opponent, a public policy opponent, and he’s chosen now to uninvite me from the picnic and to say my grandson can’t come to the picnic.”