Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., says he was blindsided after finding out he and his family were left off the guest list for the annual congressional picnic at the White House, only to be reinvited after speaking out publicly.
Paul, who had planned to attend the event on Thursday, June 12, at the South Lawn with his wife, son, daughter-in-law and infant grandson, told reporters that he discovered the snub when he went to pick up tickets.
Paul told reporters, “I think I’m the first senator in the history of the United States to be uninvited to the White House picnic. Every Democrat will be invited, every Republican will be invited, but I will be the only one disallowed to come on the grounds of the White House.”
He called the move “incredibly petty,” adding, “The level of immaturity is beyond words.”
Then, on Thursday, President Donald Trump reversed course, posting on his Truth Social platform, “Of course Senator Rand Paul and his beautiful wife and family are invited to the BIG White House Party tonight. He’s the toughest vote in the history of the U.S. Senate, but why wouldn’t he be? Besides, it gives me more time to get his Vote on the Great, Big, Beautiful Bill.“
Trump added, “I look forward to seeing Rand. The Party will be Great!”
Growing tension between Trump and Paul
The about-face comes amid growing tension between Trump and Paul, who recently came out against the president’s signature legislative package – dubbed the “big, beautiful bill” – which passed the House and is now under consideration in the Senate.
While Paul has said he supports many aspects of the package, including spending cuts and tax reforms, he’s opposed to what he calls “trillions in new debt” and raising the debt ceiling.
“Adding $4 trillion to the national debt is a non-starter for me,” Paul wrote on X during the week of June 8. “That’s not fiscally conservative. At all.”
Paul also said the snub made him “lose a lot of respect” for the president.
“They are afraid of what I’m saying, so they think they’re going to punish me,” he said. “I can’t go to the picnic.”
Trump, for his part, has taken repeated jabs at Paul on social media.
“Rand Paul has very little understanding of the BBB, especially tremendous growth that is coming. He loves voting NO on everything, he thinks it’s good politics, but it’s not,” he wrote. “Never has any practical or constructive ideas. His ideas are actually crazy (losers!). The people of Kentucky can’t stand him.”
Sen. Paul’s vote pivotal in upcoming vote
Paul’s vote remains pivotal. With Republicans holding a narrow 53-47 Senate majority, Trump can afford to lose no more than three GOP senators if he hopes to pass the bill. Several Republicans – including Sens. Mitch McConnell, Ky., Lisa Murkowski, Alaska, Mike Lee, Utah, and Ron Johnson, Wis., – have also expressed concerns about the bill’s cost.
