HomeUploadUpload DirectHotlinkRandomAbouttheme toggle
Expand

Rand Paul: "I'd put Clapper and Snowden in the same jail cell"

Views:871
@ReasonVids

During a recent interview with Reason magazine Editor in Chief Matt Welch, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) discussed his thoughts on Edward Snowden and how a Paul presidency would handle the NSA whistleblower's return.

Go here for the full interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEZroWTlK5I

Approx. 2.30 minutes.

Edited by Todd Krainin. Cameras by Joshua Swain and Meredith Bragg.

This is a rush transcript. All quotes should be checked against the audio for accuracy.

REASON: If on the day after inauguration, you get a phone call and it's Edward Snowden saying, "Alright, I'm ready to come back," what are you going to do?

RAND PAUL: You know, I think justice is about making punishment proportional to the crime. And I think his intentions were to reveal something that he felt like the people in government were lying about. And it turns out they were lying.

The director of national intelligence committed perjury in front of the Senate committee. My understanding is it's about a five-year sentence, but instead of getting any kind of sentence, instead of getting a slap on the wrist, or instead of even being fired, he's been rewarded, and he's still in charge of intelligence. And I think he's done a great deal to damage trust.

On the other side of the coin, can you let people who have sensitive data just make the decision to reveal it to the world? I think you have to have laws against that. So I think there have to be laws against what Snowden did. Did he do it for a higher purpose? Does he have a high moral ground? All of that I think history will judge. But I've sort of tongue-in-cheek said that if I had the choice, I'd put Clapper and Snowden in the same jail cell for about the same period of time. That's not a serious question, but I think it'd be an interesting debate they might have about liberty versus security.

REASON: I guess the question is, would you put a microphone in there?

RAND PAUL: No, but they probably could have a reality jail-cell show and that'd probably be a best seller.

No, I think that there has to be some punishment, but I think the other side's been crazy over the top with people who say they want to shoot Snowden, or they want to hang him....I think that one of the things we've tried to promote is a reform that would make things different. Snowden has said he would have tried official channels to reveal this to someone officially, but that the whistleblower statute doesn't apply to contractors. So I actually have an amendment that would try to make that so. So if you're a contractor doing business with an intelligence agency and you find that they're breaking the law—and interestingly, the courts have now said the NSA is breaking the law. It's my other pet peeve with the president on this whole thing. The president accuses me of getting in the way of reform, and it's like, "You could've stopped the program any time you wanted. You did it through executive order, and you're doing it through executive action. We never told you to do this program. In fact, even the authors of the Patriot Act say they never intended to give you this power, and yet you won't stop it until we actually affirmatively tell you to stop it." So I think the president's not quite sincere wanting real reform.

    Thumbnail for Rand Paul on Blocking the Patriot Act, GOP Hawks, and Edward Snowden14:41
    Rand Paul on Blocking the Patriot Act, GOP Hawks, and Edward Snowden
    ReasonVids
    843 views
    Thumbnail for "Gaga Feminism: Sex, Gender & the End of Normal": A Chat with Jack Halberstam and Thaddeus Russell24:15
    "Gaga Feminism: Sex, Gender & the End of Normal": A Chat with Jack Halberstam and Thaddeus Russell
    ReasonVids
    890 views
    Thumbnail for Jane Roe admits being paid for Roe v Wade — now says abortion wrong2:20
    Jane Roe admits being paid for Roe v Wade — now says abortion wrong
    bestofvoatxyz
    758 views
    Thumbnail for This Environmentalist Says Only Nuclear Power Can Save Us Now21:45
    This Environmentalist Says Only Nuclear Power Can Save Us Now
    ReasonVids
    1014 views
    Thumbnail for Who’s Pulling the Trigger?8:53
    Who’s Pulling the Trigger?
    AmericanRenaissance
    1386 views
    Thumbnail for Who's Right, CNN or the Academy?8:05
    Who's Right, CNN or the Academy?
    AmericanRenaissance
    1501 views
    Thumbnail for Steve Forbes Explains Trump's Appeal15:19
    Steve Forbes Explains Trump's Appeal
    ReasonVids
    980 views
    Thumbnail for Please breed responsibly1:26
    Please breed responsibly
    bestofvoatxyz
    520 views
    Thumbnail for MTV Libertarians: Kennedy, Kurt Loder Talk Politics & the Golden Age of MTV22:03
    MTV Libertarians: Kennedy, Kurt Loder Talk Politics & the Golden Age of MTV
    ReasonVids
    982 views
    Thumbnail for The Flaw of Averages: Sam L. Savage On Why We Underestimate Risk in the Face of Uncertainty4:31
    The Flaw of Averages: Sam L. Savage On Why We Underestimate Risk in the Face of Uncertainty
    ReasonVids
    867 views
    Thumbnail for 6 Minute PAUSE MENU Unity Tutorial | BMo6:09
    6 Minute PAUSE MENU Unity Tutorial | BMo
    tech.topic
    612 views
    Thumbnail for Brain Games' Jason Silva Explains Why Robots Won't Destroy the Human Race21:36
    Brain Games' Jason Silva Explains Why Robots Won't Destroy the Human Race
    ReasonVids
    928 views
    Thumbnail for Canadian dance party in front of Ottawa parliament building!! Great family fun!!0:34
    Canadian dance party in front of Ottawa parliament building!! Great family fun!!
    bestofpoal
    912 views
    Thumbnail for Old school boxing not that gayass rolling on the ground crap and btw 'This ain't America'!?0:53
    Old school boxing not that gayass rolling on the ground crap and btw 'This ain't America'!?
    bestofsaidit
    915 views
    Thumbnail for Why You Should Support Reason: Al Sharpton Edition0:31
    Why You Should Support Reason: Al Sharpton Edition
    ReasonVids
    831 views
    Thumbnail for Happy December ☕️🎄| #shorts #christmas | Sheena Melwani1:00
    Happy December ☕️🎄| #shorts #christmas | Sheena Melwani
    invidious
    93 views
    Thumbnail for 3 Reasons Benghazi Still Matters2:16
    3 Reasons Benghazi Still Matters
    ReasonVids
    993 views
    Thumbnail for The Dangerous Toys of Christmas: Debunked!3:31
    The Dangerous Toys of Christmas: Debunked!
    ReasonVids
    839 views
    Thumbnail for Trump's Cuba Crackdown: It's Time to End the Ridiculous Embargo3:45
    Trump's Cuba Crackdown: It's Time to End the Ridiculous Embargo
    ReasonVids
    919 views
    Thumbnail for This is not "nice". This is not "good sportsmanship". This is pansy ass nonsense. If you can't deal with mishaps as a pitcher, get benched.0:58
    This is not "nice". This is not "good sportsmanship". This is pansy ass nonsense. If you can't deal with mishaps as a pitcher, get benched.
    bestofsaidit
    806 views
    Thumbnail for BREAKING! Justin Beiber BREAKS His Silence & Turns On His "Friend" Diddy! | Willie D Live1:23:19
    BREAKING! Justin Beiber BREAKS His Silence & Turns On His "Friend" Diddy! | Willie D Live
    invidious
    111 views
    Thumbnail for Can You Guess What This Is? | Cleo Abram0:35
    Can You Guess What This Is? | Cleo Abram
    invidious
    108 views
    Thumbnail for INDIA PAKISTAN WAR TENSION | জম্মুতে লাগাতার বিস্ফোরণের শব্দ,পাকিস্তান এবার যা করল...| JAMMU LIVE23:04:40
    INDIA PAKISTAN WAR TENSION | জম্মুতে লাগাতার বিস্ফোরণের শব্দ,পাকিস্তান এবার যা করল...| JAMMU LIVE
    invidious
    47 views
    Thumbnail for These Tracks Gave Me CHILLS | Warcans19:22
    These Tracks Gave Me CHILLS | Warcans
    invidious
    83 views
    Thumbnail for You Literally Have To Press Nothing To Finish This Map v.3 (Trackmania 2020) | L4Bomb41:46
    You Literally Have To Press Nothing To Finish This Map v.3 (Trackmania 2020) | L4Bomb4
    invidious
    355 views

points

Permalink
Reply
TOS  •  Add Keywords  •  Donate  •   Analytics  •   DMCA  •   Puzzle