Charlie Kirk Killing
The Commerce Lexington luncheon began with an acknowledgement of this week's political violence, a topic that surfaced repeatedly throughout the afternoon event.
Paul described himself as a friend of conservative media personality Charlie Kirk and noted that he had made appearances with the now-slain activist on college campuses in the past.
Charlie Kirk was a husband, father, and fierce advocate for America’s youth. His commitment to free speech and conservative values inspired countless young Americans. Kelley and I will be praying for his family, friends, and the Turning Point USA community. Rest in peace,…
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) September 11, 2025
After expressing his family's sympathy online, Paul said the reaction on social media left him disheartened and perplexed.
"If you look at some of the commenters, somehow I'm undeserving. It's this sort of purity thing. These aren't, I think, people on the left. I'm not sure who they are," he observed. "It's sort of people responding that somehow I have no right to comment. It's a bizarre sort of notion, but it's a level of anger that needs to dissipate."
Paul said he believes the shooting will lead public figures to be more cautious but expressed hope that the incident won't quash healthy political dialogue and the exchange of ideas.
"You do see people online who are immediately glorifying when Charlie Kirk died," Paul added. "Terrible images of it, lauding it, saying it's a great thing. Those people should be shunned."
Epstein Vote
The Kentucky lawmaker was one of only two Republican senators who broke with his party this week to vote for an amendment directing the Justice Department to release all unclassified documents linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Paul told reporters he views it as a matter of fairness and maintaining trust in government.
"Whether you're rich or poor, you ought to be treated the same by the law, and I think that there is a belief among many that some very wealthy people got off scot-free for a crime that an ordinary person like us would have gone to jail for. That leads to distrust in government," Paul explained. "I don't know it to be true. I don't really know the Epstein files, but I tend to err on the side of wanting to reveal what went on."
Political Future
Paul also continued to keep his options open when asked about a run for the White House in 2028, saying there needs to be a pro-trade voice on the GOP stage.
"That I'm going to continue to argue," he said. "There's not that many voices for that argument, so I do want to fill that vacuum. Whether that's running for president or not, we'll know more as it gets closer."
The senator said it's not yet certain whether he could run for both president and Senate as he did in 2016.