{"id":2532547,"date":"2026-01-11T13:46:02","date_gmt":"2026-01-11T18:46:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/paul-warns-trump-striking-iran-could-rally-protesters-against-us\/"},"modified":"2026-01-11T13:47:47","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T18:47:47","slug":"paul-warns-trump-striking-iran-could-rally-protesters-against-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/paul-warns-trump-striking-iran-could-rally-protesters-against-us\/","title":{"rendered":"Paul warns Trump striking Iran could rally protesters against US"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpaul-warns-trump-striking-iran-could-rally-protesters-against-us%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2532547&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Sen. Rand Paul urged caution about U.S. strikes on Iran, warning that bombing can backfire by driving citizens to rally around their government rather than aiding protesters.President Trump has publicly threatened Iran over its treatment of demonstrators and said the U.S. is &#8220;ready to help,&#8221; while Sen. Lindsey graham has hinted military assistance might potentially be coming. Paul said he hopes a &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/education-group-reveres-black-panther-party-in-new-lesson-plan\/\" title=\"Education Group Reveres Black Panther Party In New Lesson Plan\">freedom movement<\/a>&#8221; in Iran succeeds but argued the best U.S. support is encouragement of free elections, not automatic military intervention. He also <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >emphasized constitutional limits<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-move-to-curtail-war-powers\/\" title=\"Democrats Move to Curtail ... Powers\">presidential war powers<\/a>, saying presidents should seek congressional authorization before launching strikes, and noted his past willingness to oppose unilateral action, including votes related to Venezuela.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Rand Paul warns Trump striking Iran could rally protesters against US<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2468717\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) urged President Donald Trump to show caution in aiding <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4413888\/iran-us-israel-legitimate-targets-protests\/\">Iranian protesters<\/a>, suggesting strikes could have the opposite of the intended effect the president wants.<\/p>\n<p>Trump warned Iran <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/foreign-policy\/4413737\/international-pressure-iran-trump-threat-not-to-kill-protesters\/\">not to kill the country&rsquo;s protesters &ldquo;because we&rsquo;ll start shooting too,&rdquo;<\/a> adding that the United States is &ldquo;ready to help&rdquo; the protesters gain freedom. Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4407702\/rand-paul-trump-thrall-lindsey-graham-threats\/\">Lindsey Graham<\/a> (R-SC) is also fueling speculation the U.S. could step in soon, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4413831\/graham-hints-us-military-action-iran-soon\/\">writing on X that &ldquo;help is on the way.&rdquo;<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4413993\/tim-kaine-senate-vote-greenland-trump\/\">Kaine vows Senate vote to block US military action in Greenland after Trump threat<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4413224\/democrats-call-release-dnc-2024-election-autopsy\/\">Democrats call for release of DNC&#8217;s 2024 election autopsy<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4413601\/trump-unloads-war-powers-senate-vote-phone-calls-gop-senators\/\">Trump unloads on war powers Senate vote in &lsquo;very hot&rsquo; phone calls to GOP senators<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4393610\/margo-martin-praised-role-trump-social-media-presence\/\">MARGO MARTIN PRAISED FOR KEY ROLE IN TRUMP SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Paul, however, is more cautious, but did say he is &ldquo;hopeful&rdquo; that a &ldquo;freedom movement&rdquo; could develop in Iran and overwhelm its government.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The only problem I have with saying, &lsquo;Oh, we&rsquo;re going to bomb Iran,&rsquo; is that sometimes it has the opposite effect. So when you bomb a country, then people tend to rally around their own flag; they tend to see this is a foreign country coming in and bombing us, and so I don&rsquo;t think it always has that effect. I wish the same as the president: I want success. I hope that the freedom movement survives. I hope that the Iranian government doesn&rsquo;t kill the protesters, but it sounds like they already have. But I don&rsquo;t know that bombing Iran will have the effect that is intended,&rdquo; Paul said on ABC News&rsquo;s <em>This Week<\/em>.<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 100%; max-width: 640px; max-height: 360px; min-width: 320px; min-height: 180px; overflow: hidden;\">\n<div style=\"position: relative; width: 100%; padding-top: 56.25%;\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/share.grabien.com\/share?id=3316884&amp;userid=11311&amp;loginid=9421&amp;playercolor=%23000000&amp;playersize=auto&amp;code=62498424db5d024313651307a8275068\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%; border: 0px;\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Paul added that despite wishing the Iranian people to gain freedom, he doesn&rsquo;t believe it is the U.S.&rsquo;s job to involve itself with &ldquo;every freedom movement around the world.&rdquo; He also said the best way to help the protesters is to encourage them to pursue a government that allows free elections.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Plus, there is this sticking point of the Constitution that we don&rsquo;t really let presidents bomb countries just when they feel like it. They&rsquo;re supposed to ask the people through the Congress for permission,&rdquo; Paul said.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4413867\/trump-order-blocking-courts-seizing-venezuelan-oil-money\/\"><strong>TRUMP SIGNS ORDER BLOCKING COURTS FROM SEIZING VENEZUELAN OIL MONEY<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4411547\/five-senate-republicans-broke-with-trump-venezuela-war-powers\/\">Paul was one of five Republican senators<\/a> who broke with their party to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4411245\/senate-vote-advances-trump-war-powers-venezuela\/\">advance a bipartisan measure<\/a> that restricts further military operations against <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/venezuela\/\">Venezuela <\/a>without congressional approval. Prior to this vote, Paul described the U.S.&rsquo;s action in Venezuela, including the capture of former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4408592\/rand-paul-says-venezuelan-operation-was-act-war\/\">as an &ldquo;act of war.&rdquo;<\/a><\/p>\n<p>On Sunday, the senator said he&rsquo;s told Trump this legislation is about &ldquo;who has the power&rdquo; to declare war, citing how the Founding Fathers divided this power since they were tired of war themselves. He said the attacks on Pearl Harbor or on 9\/11 resulted in &ldquo;nearly unanimous&rdquo; votes for war, but other votes have been much closer, like the war in Iraq.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Paul warns Trump: Striking Iran may backfire<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2632,"featured_media":2532548,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP26007722597049-e1768150029558.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[32319,50462,3823,3970,38952],"class_list":["post-2532547","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-donald-trump","tag-foreign-policy-2","tag-iran","tag-protests","tag-rand-paul"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP26007722597049-e1768150029558.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2532547","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2632"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2532547"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2532547\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2532551,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2532547\/revisions\/2532551"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2532548"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2532547"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2532547"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2532547"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}