Senator Rand Paul has used his social media platform to comment on issues related to law enforcement and government surveillance. On September 30, 2025, Paul addressed the distinction between activism and criminal behavior in protests, as well as concerns about government watchlisting practices.
In a post published at 01:16 UTC, Senator Paul stated, “When you show up with weapons, helmets and start smashing windows or attacking cops you are not an activist. You are a criminal, and you will be held accountable under the law.”
Later that day at 11:03 UTC, he referenced his past efforts against warrantless surveillance and expressed concern over recent revelations about secret government watchlists. He wrote, “Years ago, I stood for hours to filibuster warrantless NSA spying. Now we uncover Quiet Skies — secret gov’t watchlisting Americans: no warrants, no cause, no oversight.
Today, I’m taking the fight against weaponization to the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs”.
At 17:33 UTC on the same day, Paul highlighted a specific case involving Tulsi Gabbard. He posted, “One of the most shocking cases: @TulsiGabbard, a combat veteran, former Congresswoman, and now Director of National Intelligence.
After she became critical of Biden and supportive of Trump, she suddenly faced heightened TSA scrutiny with extra screenings, dogs at her gate…”
Senator Rand Paul is known for his opposition to broad government surveillance programs such as those conducted by the NSA without warrants or oversight. In recent years there have been reports concerning “Quiet Skies,” a Transportation Security Administration program that monitored certain travelers based on behavioral indicators rather than specific evidence or warrants. The program has raised privacy concerns among lawmakers and civil liberties groups.
Tulsi Gabbard previously served as a U.S. Representative from Hawaii and has been an outspoken critic of some federal policies after leaving Congress.
