Rand Paul: ‘We Are Really Lucky’ Rubio Wasn’t President During Cold War

Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul said in an interview Monday that the U.S. is “really lucky” that his fellow GOP hopeful Marco Rubio was not president during the Cold War, given the Florida senator’s support for a no-fly zone in Syria.

Paul, a non-interventionist and vocal critic of U.S. involvement in Syria, told CNBC’s John Harwood that establishing a no-fly zone and using force against Russian military forces are both “terrible idea[s].”

“Man, we are really lucky he was never president during the Cold War,” Paul said. “Reagan avoided a Cold War by, one, not setting red lines like that, continuing to have open communication with the Russians, having a strong enough defense to repel attack, and to worry the Russians. But we did not try to get involved with an altercation with them.”

The Kentucky senator said Rubio and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), a noted foreign policy hawk, should “re-examine history.”

“Assad’s a bad person and so is ISIS, but we shouldn’t be involved in the civil war over there,” Paul concluded.

Many Republicans have urged Paul to drop his presidential bid and instead focus on his Senate re-election, but Paul’s campaign has fiercely denied that his campaign is on life support, despite declining poll numbers.

Watch the video above, via CNBC.

[Featured image via Gage Skidmore]

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