McCain: Rand Paul doesn't have any influence in the Senate

McCain, who chairs the Armed Services Committee, was asked to comment on Paul calling on Trump to seek congressional authorization to use military force in Syria but said that "I don't really react to Sen. Paul." 

 

"We're just too different and he doesn't have any real influence in the United States Senate," McCain told CNN. "I don't pay any attention frankly to what Sen. Paul says."

 

Asked why he's disagreeing with Paul over the administration's airstrikes targeting a Syrian airbase in response to a chemical weapons attacks that has been linked to the Assad regime, McCain said "because he's wrong."

 

He's wrong on "every other issue that I know of that has to do with national security," the Arizona Republican said. 

 

McCain is one the Senate's most vocal defense hawks and has called on the Trump administration to use additional airstrikes to ground Syria's entire air force. He has told reporters that he thinks the administration currently has legal authority to carry out the strikes.

 

Paul is a libertarian-leaning Republican senator who frequently sides with liberal Democrats on military and foreign policy issues. He's demanded that Trump get congressional authority before taking any additional action in Syria. 

 

The two frequently disagree on military and defense issues and have launched a string of rhetorical attacks at each other over the past month. 

 

McCain accused Paul of helping Russian President Vladimir Putin after the Kentucky Republican objected to setting up a vote on a treaty allowing Montenegro to join NATO. 

 

"The senator from Kentucky is now working for Vladimir Putin," McCain said from the Senate floor. 

 

Paul fired back the next during during an MSNBC interview that McCain, who was elected to his sixth Senate term last year, "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," he said.