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That, he said, would be sexist because it would ignore the reality that "women are in positions not because they're women," but because "they're intelligent and they should be equal to their counterparts and treated equally."

READ: What is Hillary Clinton thinking?

And, in an interview with Dana Bash on CNN's "State of the Union," he hit the Democratic frontrunner for aligning on foreign policy with President Barack Obama and "the neo-cons in my own party" -- highlighting a key distinction between Paul and many of his rivals in the 2016 race for the White House.

Paul's comments came in the wake of criticism over how he handled challenging questions in interviews with NBC's Savannah Guthrie after launching his bid for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, and one weeks earlier with CNBC's Kelly Evans.

Bash asked Paul whether he'll treat Clinton differently to avoid concerns that he has an issue with women.

"I would treat her with the same respect that I would treat a man, but I wouldn't lay down and say, 'Oh, I'm not going to respond out of some sort of' -- and I think that would be a sexist response to say, 'Oh, my goodness, she deserves not to be treated as aggressively, because she's only a woman," Paul said.

"I would never say that about anybody. And I don't come into our interview thinking, 'OK, it's a woman versus a man kind of interview," he said. "I just think she's going to ask tough questions, he will ask tough questions, I've got to be prepared."

Paul also lambasted Clinton's time as secretary of state, struggling to name any positive accomplishments for the former first lady and New York senator during those four years.

SEE: Clinton campaign memo lays out strategy

He said the Clinton Foundation's acceptance of donations from foreign countries like Saudi Arabia and Brunei "questions the sincerity of whether or not she would be a champion for women's rights."

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Rand Paul: Clinton deserves equally harsh treatment - CNN.com