Sen. Rand Paul (R., Ky.) laughed at State of the Union host Candy Crowley Sunday when she asked if he would consider becoming a Democrat.
While discussing a poll released this week showing more Americans blaming Republicans for the shutdown than Democrats, Crowley took the opportunity to see if Paul had any inklings of switching sides. Paul had been critical of both Democrats and Republicans in the interview and said both should receive blame for the shutdown, adding to the strangeness of the question.
Paul said he was proud of the Republican Party's history, particularly for its fight against Jim Crow in his home state of Kentucky, and couldn't imagine changing sides:
CANDY CROWLEY: Do you see yourself at any point in the future being anything other than politically a member of the Republican Party?
RAND PAUL: You mean -- you're implying a third party or some other party?
CROWLEY: Or if you wanted to become a Democrat. There are lots of parties out there. Just wonder if you see yourself being anything other than a Republican?
PAUL: (Laughs) No. I've always been a Republican, and I'm one of those people who actually is a real lover of the history of the Republican Party from the days of abolition to the days of civil rights. The Republican Party has a really rich history. In our state, I'm really proud of the fact that the ones who overturned Jim Crow in Kentucky were Republicans fighting against an entirely unified Democratic Party, so I am proud to be Republican. I can't imagine being anything else.