Already a target for the president over his opposition to the debt ceiling increase in Trump's signature spending bill, Paul isn't a fan of the upcoming military parade idea either.
The Kentucky lawmaker was asked about the event, which will see tanks and artillery launchers proceeding through Washington on Saturday amid hundreds of scheduled protests across the county Paul said he worries about the message it's sending at home and abroad.
"Never been a big fan of goosestepping soldiers in big tanks and missiles rolling down the street. So if you ask me, I wouldn't have I wouldn't have done it," the senator said. "I'm not sure what the actual expense of it is... We were always different than the images you saw of the Soviet Union and North Korea. We were proud not to be that, and I'm not proposing that that's the image people wanna project, but I'm worried about the image, that it isn't necessarily the best image to show."
About 7,000 soldiers are set to take part in the parade. Army secretary Daniel Driscoll estimated costs will run between $25 million and $40 million.
Asked about the accompanying mass demonstrations, Trump said on Tuesday that protesters this weekend will face "very big force" and describe demonstrators as "people who hate America."