Rand Paul: Trump’s message is ’empty anger’

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said in an interview broadcast on Sunday that fellow GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump represents rage without any solution.

“His message is empty anger,” Paul told NBC anchor Chris Jansing during a humanitarian visit to Haiti. “It’s an anger without substance.

“We have to decide whether we want sort of empty platitudes, or whether we’re going to look at substance,” he said.

“Conservatives have to decide if he’s a fake conservative or not,” Paul added of Trump. “And I think truly he is a fake conservative, because he’s been on every side of the issue in the last five years.”

Paul then argued that Trump’s past views on healthcare are the biggest indicator his ideas are without merit for right-wing voters.

“The Tea Party movement that I rose out of, this conservative sort of rebellion, we were unhappy with Republicans who voted for bigger government,” said Paul.

“So I think they’ll be unhappy again if they get someone like Trump, because he was for ObamaCare,” he said. “He still kind of likes single-payer. I think we could be well on the way to single-payer if we elect Donald Trump.”

Paul’s remarks come as Trump dominates the race for the GOP’s 2016 presidential nomination in multiple national polls.

The Kentucky lawmaker admitted on Sunday that the outspoken billionaire’s success concerns him, given what it might mean for America’s future.

“For two months, the Trump mania has been soaking up votes from a lot of candidates,” Paul said. “And I guess my fear for the country is, is that there are large countries that do succumb to celebrity.

“I worry about the country, because I don’t believe there’s any sincerity to what the message is,” he added of Trump. “There’s a sort of frenzy going on and it’s been a self-reinforcing cycle for two months now.”