Rand Paul Straight Up Compares Trump Taking Stakes In Private Companies to Zohran Mamdani’s Socialism
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) joined MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle this week to discuss President Donald Trump’s plan to create TrumpRX, a government-run website offering discounts on select prescription drugs.
Paul, a libertarian leaning Republican, pulled no punches in criticizing Trump’s willingness to intervene in the free market and even went so far as to compare the Trump administration to self-identified socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.
Paul shared his interview on X and wrote, “If you’re going to criticize the socialist Mamdani for wanting to own grocery stores, you better criticize Republicans who want a share of Intel, of Nvidia, or U.S. Steel. Owning even part of the means of production is a step toward socialism. It’s a bad idea and a dangerous precedent.”
In the clip from earlier in the week, Ruhle asked Paul, “The president wants a stake in big business. At a New York Economic Club event today, the president’s top trade negotiator said that Trump would, quote, ‘Love a stake in every company that’s doing well.’ What do you think about that? I mean, you are a free markets, true capitalism kind of guy. That doesn’t sound like any free markets I know.”
“Yeah, if you’re going to criticize Mamdani for wanting to own the grocery stores, you have to be equal parts critic to any Republican who wants a share of Nvidia, a share of Intel, or a share of U.S. Steel. It’s a bad idea. It’s a slippery slope. And really, it is heading in the direction of what socialism is, which would be owning all of the means of production. If you only own a percentage of the means of production, it still is a step in the wrong direction,” Paul replied.
“Then what do you think about this new partnership that we just heard about today with Pfizer? It’s going to be known as TrumpRx. Our U.S. government is going to sell Pfizer drugs on a website named after Donald John Trump,” Ruhle followed up.
“I haven’t seen all the details so far, but what I will tell you is part of the news report said that it’s driven Pfizer to a negotiated price, a lower negotiated price on Medicaid. I do think the government should negotiate with the full leverage that they have in size for both Medicaid and Medicare,” Paul replied, adding:
And I have voted that way as well. As far as bullying companies or taking a percentage of companies, I’m opposed to that. As far as bullying them to offer a certain price on a new website, doesn’t sound like something I would be for, but I haven’t seen the details. But if it’s just trying to get a better price from Medicaid to pay for drugs, that is taxpayer money, and I think we should get the best deal we can get.
Watch the clip above via MSNBC.
