Sen. Rand Paul blasts 'woke ideology' for distracting American military

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul said the "woke ideology" is distracting the American military, specifically pushing back against federal spending on gender-affirming surgery during a speech to veterans Monday in Louisville.

"As (Winston) Churchill reportedly said, 'People will sleep peacefully in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf,'" the Republican from Kentucky said. "Churchill would be shocked to know that the American military that saved the day during World War II now pays for confused individuals to surgically change their sexual appearance."

According to The Churchill Project at Hillsdale College, there is no evidence Churchill said the quote Paul referenced.

In 2021, the Department of Veteran Affairs announced it would offer transgender veterans confirmation surgery, though surgery including genital and breast procedures are only covered for active duty members. Other transition-related care including voice training and hormone therapy are covered for veterans.

Paul's remarks were part of a speech at the 125th Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention where he criticized America's foreign policy, saying its "traditional and restrained" policy has shifted to "a desire to be everywhere all the time."

Paul also promised the nation's veterans that he would push back against current U.S. intervention.

"I pledge to you, Veterans of Foreign Wars, I will vote against any president of either party who tries to send our soldiers abroad without a declaration of war," Paul said.

Paul's overall stance on foreign policy — in which he generally opposes U.S. intervention unless there is clear national security interest — is a contrast to fellow Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, who has pushed back on isolationism and was the driving force behind a foreign aid package that send funds to Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific.

"Those who suggest that we need to be everywhere, all of the time, will also do the most to ensure perpetual conflict," Paul said. "They throw out historical examples, claiming that we're once again in 1938 as we see the Russians invade Ukraine. My fear is that we're actually once again in 1914" and escalation will draw the U.S. "closer to a nuclear confrontation."

Meanwhile, McConnell has defended his stance on supporting Ukraine aid, saying the U.S. needs to be a leader in the Democratic world.

McConnell was not at the VFW convention but sent a video offering support and thanks to those present for their service.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear also spoke at the event amid recent buzz that he's being vetted as the running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential campaign.

Beshear thanked the veterans for their service and said the country needs their continued leadership.

"I recognize that every opportunity that we have in this country, every opportunity that our kids, that my kids have, is because of the service and the sacrifice of our veterans since the inception of this great nation," Beshear said. "Our job is to repay your service by treating our veterans better every single day and creating more opportunities for your kids and your grandkids than we ever could have imagined."

Reach reporter Hannah Pinski at @hpinski@courier-journal.com or follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @hannahpinski.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Sen. Rand Paul says 'woke ideology' is distracting American military