Rand Paul calls John McCain ‘unhinged’ in response to Putin claim

PHOENIX — The feud between Arizona Sen. John McCain and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul entered a new chapter after Paul said the senior Republican senator is “past his prime” and “a little bit unhinged.”

During an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Thursday, Paul said the Arizona senator “makes a really, really strong case for term limits.”

“I think maybe he’s past his prime. I think maybe he’s gotten a little bit unhinged,” Paul said, later adding that McCain’s claim was a “little over the top.”

Paul’s comments came in response to a claim McCain made on Wednesday that the Kentucky senator was working for Russian President Vladimir Putin because he voted against allowing Montenegro to join NATO.

“So, I repeat again, the senator from Kentucky is now working for Vladimir Putin,” McCain said Wednesday.

The Russian president sees the addition of Montenegro — a small Balkan country that rests along the Adriatic Sea — as a threat to Russian sovereignty.

Paul told “Morning Joe” on Thursday that he objected to the unanimous consent that McCain asked for because he does not believe it is in the country’s best interest to align itself with Montenegro.

“There has to be the thought whether or not it’s in our national interest to pledge to get involved with a war if Montenegro has an altercation with anyone,” Paul said.

Paul said later in the interview he is open to having a “rational discussion about the pros and cons of expanding” NATO, but alluded to the fact that expanding the alliance could overextend the military.

“We currently have troops, combat troops, in about six nations. We have troops actively just stationed in probably a couple dozen others. We have a $20 trillion debt,” Paul said.

This isn’t the first time the two Republican senators have butt heads: In February, Paul lashed out at McCain over a comment he made about free press and dictatorships, saying, “We’re very lucky John McCain’s not in charge.”

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