Sen. Rand Paul (R., Ky.) lashed out at an NPR host Tuesday when questioned about his former aide, pro-Confederate shock jock Jack Hunter, in what political observers say could signal problems for the senator’s 2016 message.
"Don’t you have something better to read than a bunch of crap from people who don’t like me?" Paul snapped at reporter John Harwood when asked about an Economist column on Hunter, who resigned from Paul's office after the Washington Free Beacon reported on his career as a pro-secessionist and Confederate-flag-masked radio host known as the "Southern Avenger."
As the Southern Avenger, Hunter praised Abraham Lincoln’s assassin John Wilkes Booth and called the 16th president "the American Hitler." He disavowed many of his comments in a July interview with the Free Beacon. Paul initially stood by Hunter, who served as his social media director and co-authored the his 2011 book. Hunter left Paul’s staff two weeks after the Free Beacon story was published.
The exchange on the Tuesday broadcast of NPR’s "On Point" highlighted the continuing interest in Hunter's career and showed that the Kentucky senator is likely to face a heightened level of scrutiny as he prepares to run for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016.
Larry Sabato, the director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, said the mini-blowup was a sign Paul is not prepared to address an issue that could haunt him on the campaign trail.
"When a politician reacts the way Sen. Paul did about his aide, it's a red flag that he's uncomfortable about the subject and a green flag to his opponents and the press to keep asking about it," Sabato told the Free Beacon.
Sabato said a testy and evasive response could turn off voters.
"It's a certainty that Paul's 2016 opponents will use it, one way or the other, to needle him in debates," he said. "And if he doesn't come up with a clear, defensible, comprehensive answer that he can repeat whenever the subject is raised, the problem will grow over time."'
By contrast, Sabato said, Paul shot back at Harwood during the NPR interview.
"That won’t make for much of an interview if I have to sit through reading after recitation of people calling me a racist," said Paul.
Harwood pressed Paul on the issue as the freshman senator attempted to change the subject.
"I’m not going to really go through an interview reciting and responding to every yahoo in the world who wants to throw up a canard," said Paul. "Why don’t we talk about Rand Paul and what I’m trying to do to grow the party, and then we might have an intelligent discussion."
Harwood responded, "Well, I am, but [Hunter] is someone who wrote a book with you."
"Well, you’re not," Paul returned. "You think you want to dwell on something, that you want to bring up critical articles from people who don’t like me and don’t support any libertarian ideals. Why don’t we talk about what libertarian Republicanism means, and what it would do for the party?"
Paul also criticized Harwood for allegedly "doing ad hominem on me."
Democrats would almost certainly seize on the Hunter controversy if Paul became the GOP nominee, a long-time Democratic operative close to the Clintons told the Free Beacon last month. Hillary Clinton is seen as the party’s likely presidential frontrunner.
"Democratic ad-makers are salivating," said the Democrat. "After defending this guy—and the rumors of [Paul’s] own past views and his association with his father and his father’s past—no sudden apology could make these go away."
However, Slate reporter David Weigel commented that the senator’s attempt to change the subject was effective, noting Harwood eventually switched to discussing transportation policy.
"And so ended a pretty good day for Paul 2016," wrote Weigel.
Slate is an online magazine known for its counterintuitive take on the news.