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Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) launched a website on Friday targeting Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley as the start of the GOPs 2024 nominating contest nears.

Paul unveiled his Never Nikki website one day after teasing a very important announcement on the presidential race.

Speculation mounted about what the news could be after Paul, a libertarian and frequent thorn in GOP leaderships side on policy matters, teed up the announcement. The Kentucky senator had said earlier in the week that he had met with most of the candidates but wasnt ready to endorse.

He revealed on Friday that while he wasnt set on who his candidate of choice would be, he was sure Haley wouldnt get his support.

Im not yet ready to make a decision, but I am ready to make a decision on someone who I cannot support, Paul said in a video posted to X, the social media website previously known as Twitter. So Im announcing this morning that Im Never Nikki, and if you go to NeverNikki.net, you can let her know that youre not a supporter either.

I dont think any informed or knowledgeable libertarian or conservative should support Nikki Haley, he continued, going after her attitude towards our interventions overseas and her involvement in the military-industrial complex.

Paul also took aim in a thread on X at what he called Haleys lack of respect for freedom of speech, referring to her since-withdrawn comments that social media companies should ban anonymous posters.

This flies in the face of a free American Republic whose founders wrote anonymously the Federalist Papers and routinely posted newspaper articles and pamphlets under Pseudonyms, Paul wrote.

A representative for Haleys campaign did not respond to the Washington Examiners request for comment.

Pauls Friday announcement was not entirely negative. He used the beginning of his post to share some positive thoughts on former President Donald Trump, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the last of whom he welcomed into his Senate office on Wednesday.

Asked in an interview about the meeting after it ended, Paul praised Kennedy for his skepticism of crony capitalism. I like his skepticism that large parts of the regulatory apparatus of the government have been taken over by big business, he said.

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There are a lot of things that he talks about that he and I agree on, and my father has known him, he continued. The conversation is useful, and were going to continue to talk to him.

Paul endorsed Trump in 2020. He would join 20 of his Republican colleagues who have already endorsed his 2024 bid if he opted to back him again.

Link:
Rand Paul says he is 'Never Nikki' in 2024 campaign announcement - Washington Examiner

Just days in advance of the 2024 Iowa Republican presidential caucus, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) launched an initiative Friday dubbed #NeverNikki, slamming Nikki Haley over her hawkish foreign policy positions, her support of foreign aid to Ukraine, and her criticism of anonymous speech on the internet.

I dont think any informed or knowledgeable libertarian or conservative should supportNikki Haley. Ive seen her attitude towards our interventions overseas, Ive seen her involvement in the military industrial complex, Paul said in a video posted to X Friday. But Ive also seen her indicate that she thinks you should be registered to use the internet.

The Kentucky Republican criticized Haleys alignment with President Joe Biden and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell whom he called the forever-war crowd on supporting U.S. funding for Ukraine in their war with Russia.

Her thirst for war is so strong she actually said: Im sick of talking about a Department of Defense. I want a Department of Offense,' Paul wrote on X, citing a comment Haley made at an October town hall event in Iowa.

Paul also bashed the former South Carolina governor over domestic policy issues, accusing her of advocating for a gas tax hike, a state-run vaccine registry, and not advancing school choice policies.

I think she fails to understand our republic was founded upon people like Ben Franklin, Sam Adams, Madison, John Jay and others who posted routinely for fear of the government they posted routinely anonymously, Paul said in the video. And I think her failure to really understand that or to think that you should register through the government somehow for the internet is something that should disqualify her in the minds of all libertarian-leaning conservatives.

Haley received backlash for remarks she made in November in which she promised every person on social media would be required to be verified by their name for national security.

When I get into office, the first thing we have to do, social media accounts, social media companies, they have to show America their algorithms. Let us see why theyre pushing what theyre pushing. The second thing is every person on social media should be verified by their name, Haley said in a November Fox News appearance.

Haley quickly walked back her statements, saying her criticism of anonymous speech was directed toward anonymous foreign propaganda social media accounts, not U.S. citizens.

I dont mind anonymous American people having free speech; what I dont like is anonymous Russians and Chinese and Iranians having free speech, Haley said in a CNBC appearance the day after she made the remarks on Fox.

While Paul did not endorse any of the GOP Primary candidates in his Friday announcement, he said he likes various aspects of several candidates, including former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and political outsider Vivek Ramaswamy.

Paul also said he is interested in the ideas of some independents too, adding that he had met with independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., whose platform includes reining in U.S. defense spending and bringing troops home from abroad.

Read more:
Rand Paul Launches 'Never Nikki' Initiative Bashing Nikki Haley's "thirst for war" - The Maine Wire

SLIPKNOT, KORN, SMASHING PUMPKINS and NICKELBACK are among the artists who were mentioned in Kentucky senator Rand Paul's annual "Festivus Report" of wasteful government spending.

The 2023 listing found $900 billion in federal waste this year, including some of the more than $200 million that was doled out to "dozens of famous music artists and their touring companies" under the Small Business Administration's Shuttered Venue Operators Grant. The program, Paul said, "was supposed to provide a lifeline to small entertainment businesses nationwide." Instead, the report found, "so-called 'small business owners,' such as Post Malone, Lil Wayne, Chris Brown and SMASHING PUMPKINS, received up to $10 million each," Paul said. "Even NICKELBACK received $2 million."

Other artists and groups to partake in such grants were Usher ($3.1 million),Leann Rimes ($2 million),Melissa Etheridge ($3.9 million),KORN ($5.3 million) and SLIPKNOT ($9.7 million),with the latter band's Knotfest music festival receiving a $1.05 million grant.

"While some may claim these funds were used to keep supporting staff," Paul wrote, "artists were not required to do so, and we have no way of determining how these blank checks were used."

The Small Business Administration's Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program provided over $16 billion to closed venues.

Eligible businesses includes live venue operators or promoters, theatrical producers, performing arts organizations, talent representatives and movie theaters. The SBA also prioritized businesses that saw the greatest losses during the pandemic.

Applicants were eligible to receive 45% of their 2019 gross revenue up to $10 million per grant. To qualify for the grant, businesses had to have been open on February 29, 2020. Any federal Paycheck Protection Program loans the companies had forgiven would have had to be subtracted from the total grants.

The $16 billion Small Business Administration's Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program was originally passed in a COVID relief package during the Trump administration. It was amended by the Biden administration's American Rescue Plan.

Celebrated annually on December 23, Festivus is an anti-holiday popularized in a 1997 "Seinfeld" episode. Billed as "Festivus for the rest of us," it is celebrated as an all-inclusive, secular alternative to Christmas consumerism.

Original post:
SLIPKNOT, KORN And NICKELBACK Namechecked In RAND PAUL's Report On Wasteful Government Spending - BLABBERMOUTH.NET

Kentucky senator Rand Paul's annual "Festivus Report" has unveiled some interesting findings regarding U.S. government federal spending. The report highlights that over $200 million was allocated to music artists and their touring companies through the Small Business Administration's Shuttered Venue Operators Grant.

The program appears to have benefitted not only small enterprises but also well-known names in the music industry. Applicants were eligible to receive 45% of their 2019 gross revenue up to $10 million per grant.

Some of the notable recipients identified in the report include Korn receiving $5.3 million, and Slipknot receiving $9.7 million, with an additional $1.05 million going to Slipknot's Knotfest music festival. It's noted by Paul that the $416 billion grant program was intended to aid struggling live venue operators, theatrical producers, performing arts organizations, talent representatives, and movie theaters entities that suffered significant losses during the pandemic.

A full accounting of the programs's spending was provided by the Small Business Administration.

Paul's report states:

When local concert venues and family-owned theaters were forced to shut down during the pandemic, distributing financial relief was left to the Small Business Administration (SBA). The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program was supposed to provide a lifeline to small entertainment business nationwide.

Sadly, but not surprisingly, SBA failed to deliver. Business Insider identified dozens of famous music artists and their touring companies that received over $200 million through the program.

So-called "small business owners," such as Post Malone, Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, and Smashing Pumpkins, received up to $10 million each. Even Nickelback received $2 million. While some may claim these funds were used to keep supporting staff, artists were not required to do so, and we have no way of determining how these blank checks were used.

These multi-millionaire musicians were cashing checks, instead of the intended recipients: America's small businesses.

More:
SLIPKNOT and KORN received millions from U.S. government according to RAND PAUL's "Festivus Report" - Lambgoat

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has released his annual "Festivus Report," which tracks wasteful governmental spending and it includes a finger pointed at some of the music industry's biggest hitmakers for appropriating approximately $200 million in federal aid.

Post Malone, Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, Slipknot, Korn, Smashing Pumpkins and more were cited as receiving funds under the Small Business Administration's Shuttered Venue Operators Grant, a program intended to provide a lifeline to small entertainment businesses affected by the pandemic.

The amounts received by the artists cited ranged up to $10 million dollars each. "Even Nickelback received $2 million," the report states.

"These multi-millionaire musicians were cashing checks, instead of the intended recipients: America's small businesses," Rand's report continued, adding that there was no accountability as to how the money was spent by the artists.

The now-defunct Shuttered Venue Operators Grant included over $16 billion in grants to "support the ongoing operations of eligible live venues and operators, live venue promoters, theatrical producers, talent representatives, live performing arts organization operators, museums, and motion picture theaters during the uncertain economic conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic." Eligible entities could qualify for up to $10 million in aid.

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Various Hitmakers, 'Even Nickelback,' Cited in Rand Paul Report as Receiving Millions in Federal Aid - The Messenger