Rand Paul comes out against Trump plan to use the military for mass deportation of illegal aliens



Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said that he opposes the plan by President-elect Donald Trump to employ the military to help deport millions of illegal aliens.

Trump has made immigration a focus of his second term after historically high numbers of illegal aliens crossed into the U.S. under the Biden administration. As part of his plans, he has announced mass deportations aided by the U.S. military.

'The police have a difficult job, but the people removing people from our country need to be a police enforcement domestic agency, not the military.'

"The stories all said he would declare an emergency to use the military to remove people. I'm not for that," said Paul in an interview on Newsmax.

"I'm not in favor of sending the army in uniforms into our cities to collect people. I think it's a terrible image. That's not what we use our military for, we never have. And it's actually been illegal for over 100 years to bring the Army into our cities," he added.

Paul was likely referring to the Posse Comitatus Act from 1878 that prohibits federal troops from enforcing civilian law except when expressly authorized by a statute or the Constitution.

"Our Army and our military are trained to shoot the enemy. They're not trained to get a warrant to do what they're doing. The police have a difficult job, but the people removing people from our country need to be a police enforcement domestic agency, not the military," Paul continued. "I will not support an emergency [declaration] to put the Army in our cities. I think that's a huge mistake."

Paul, who is a member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, said he would support efforts to focus on deporting illegal aliens with violent criminal convictions first. He posted the interview to his social media account, where he reiterated his dissenting argument.

"We, as conservatives who are supportive of Trump, need to caution him about sending the army into our cities. It's a terrible image to send the world, and it's a terrible image for us as citizens," he posted.

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana has defended Trump's deportation plan but also signaled that the effort should focus on the millions of illegal aliens with criminal convictions first.

"I think what the president is talking about is beginning with the dangerous persons that we know are here," Johnson explained. "There are criminals, known criminals. There are known terrorists in the country. There are some who have been apprehended for committing violent crimes after they've come across the border illegally. So you start with that number. You've got, by some counts, as many as 3 or 4 million people that fit in that category. Begin there and then see how it transpires."

Some saw this as a capitulation while others believe it is more logistically plausible.

Here's the full interview from NewsMax:

We, as conservatives who are supportive of Trump, need to caution him about sending the army into our cities. It's a terrible image to send the world, and it's a terrible image for us as citizens. pic.twitter.com/EygszWKMBB
— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) November 20, 2024

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Elon Musk demands Anthony Fauci be prosecuted after NIH admits to funding gain-of-function research at Wuhan lab



Elon Musk demanded the prosecution of Dr. Anthony Fauci after a National Institutes of Health official confessed that U.S. taxpayer funds were used for risky gain-of-function research in Wuhan, China. The alarming admission by the top NIH bureaucrat directly contradicts sworn testimony that Fauci made when questioned by Congress.

On Thursday, acting NIH Director and current Principal Deputy Director Dr. Lawrence Tabak was questioned during a hearing by the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. The hearing had a mission to compel Tabak to "explain numerous inconsistencies between the public and private testimonies of NIH employees and EcoHealth President, Dr. Peter Daszak."

Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.) asked Tabak about the NIH's role in risky gain-of-function research conducted at the Wuhan Institute of Virology through the Manhattan-based EcoHealth Alliance – the nonprofit organization that was involved in controversial coronavirus experiments.

Lesko inquired, "Dr. Tabak, did NIH fund gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology through EcoHealth?"

Tabak replied, "It depends on your definition of gain-of-function research. If you’re speaking about the generic term, yes, we did."

The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic declared, "Dr. Tabak offered substantial evidence that Dr. Daszak purposefully misled both the NIH and the Select Subcommittee about EcoHealth’s efforts to comply with grant procedures."

Did the NIH Fund Gain-of-Function Research in Wuhan? 🤔 @SenRandPaul pic.twitter.com/arlId1Vfcj
— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) May 16, 2024

Tabak's response also contradicts Fauci's repeated claims that there was no gain-of-function research at the Wuhan lab funded by the NIH.

As Blaze News previously reported, Fauci clashed with Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) during a fiery confrontation before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions in May 2021.

Paul asked Fauci, "Dr. Fauci, do you still support funding of the NIH funding of the lab in Wuhan?"

Fauci answered, "Sen. Paul, with all due respect, you are entirely, entirely and completely incorrect. The NIH has not ever, and does not now, fund 'gain of function research' in the Wuhan Institute."

In July 2021, Paul pressed Fauci about the NIH using taxpayer money to fund gain-of-research experiments at the Wuhan lab.

Paul asked, "Dr. Fauci, knowing that it is a crime to lie to Congress, do you wish to retract your statement of May 11, where you claimed that the NIH never funded gain-of-function research?"

Fauci replied, "Sen. Paul, I have never lied before the Congress. And I do not retract that statement."

Fauci, now 83, then attacked Paul by saying, "You don't know what you're talking about, quite frankly."

On Wednesday, Paul told Newsmax, "So, you have this bureaucrat Anthony Fauci in charge of the money spigot who is not really a researcher in this, but saying adamantly that it wasn't gain-of-function. Why does he say that? Because he wants to escape responsibility for having funded research and for having made the terrible decision to fund research that led to a pandemic that killed millions of people."

Dr. Paul Questions Dr. Fauci on Wuhan Lab and Gain of Function Research - May 11, 2021 www.youtube.com

On Friday, Elon Musk wrote on the X social media platform: "Prosecute/Fauci."

U.S. Code Section 1621 states that anyone who "willfully and contrary to such oath states or subscribes any material matter which he does not believe to be true" is guilty of perjury and shall be fined or imprisoned up to five years, or both. The statute of limitations for perjury is five years from the time the statement was made.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines gain-of-function research as:

Studies, or research that improves the ability of a pathogen to cause disease, help define the fundamental nature of human-pathogen interactions, thereby enabling assessment of the pandemic potential of emerging infectious agents, informing public health and preparedness efforts, and furthering medical countermeasure development.

In October 2014, the Obama administration halted all federal funding for risky gain-of-function studies.

Former President Barack Obama's White House announced a "pause" to "assess the potential risks and benefits associated with a subset of life sciences research known as 'gain-of-function' studies."

The NIH announced in December 2017 – when Donald Trump was president – that it was lifting the funding pause on gain-of-function experiments.

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Probe into 'high-risk biological research and technology' to investigate COVID-19 origins and more



GOP Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Democratic Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan — the ranking member and chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, respectively — plan to conduct a probe into the national security risks pertaining to "high-risk biological research and technology in the U.S. and abroad," according to a press release, which indicates that the oversight effort will involve investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Paul and Peters plan to hold hearings and conduct government-wide oversight on areas including high-risk life science research, biodefense, synthetic biology, biosafety and biosecurity lapses, early warning capabilities for emerging outbreaks or possible attacks, and potential origins of the COVID-19 pandemic," the press release notes.

"This bipartisan oversight effort will assess and identify measures to mitigate longstanding and emerging risks and threats that may result in serious biological incidents – whether deliberate, accidental, or natural. The investigation will also seek to increase transparency and strengthen oversight of taxpayer-funded life sciences research, laboratories in the U.S. and abroad, and detection of biological threats," the release adds.

Paul, who has served in the Senate since early 2011, has experience working as an ophthalmologist.

"It is well past time for the Senate to conduct a bipartisan inquiry into the origins of COVID-19, and, as part of this investigation, we finally will be holding Committee hearings to do just that," Paul said, according to the press release. "In order to prevent a more catastrophic pandemic from occurring, we must understand the nature of US-funded biotechnology and hold accountable those who engage in risky gain-of-function research."

"I've been banging on the doors of federal agencies for the past three years, relentlessly seeking information on COVID-19, but it’s been nothing short of a wild goose chase. To prevent repeating past mistakes, it's crucial we fully comprehend the dangers of engaging in potentially hazardous bioresearch. This involves shining a spotlight on the gaping holes in oversight throughout the federal research processes and procedures," Paul noted.

Blaze Media's Steve Baker expressed support for the planned probe, writing in a post on X, "Sic 'em, @SenRandPaul !!"

— (@)

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