White House rescinds Rand Paul’s picnic invite as punishment over budget vote, Republican senator claims

By Merve Berker

Republican Senator Rand Paul said Wednesday that the White House withdrew his invitation to the annual congressional picnic due to his opposition to President Donald Trump’s proposed budget bill, according to US media.

“I think I'm the first senator in the history of the United States to be uninvited to the White House picnic,” Paul told CBS News.

The event, set for Thursday on the South Lawn, is traditionally attended by lawmakers from both parties and their families. Paul said he planned to bring his wife, son, daughter-in-law, and 6-month-old grandson, but was informed the invitation had been revoked when he went to retrieve tickets.

“I just find this incredibly petty,” he said, adding: “They've decided they want to declare war on my family and exclude us from the White House.”

Paul has criticized the budget bill over provisions that would raise the national debt ceiling by several trillion dollars. He said he might support the measure if the debt ceiling component were separated and voted on independently.

The Kentucky senator also accused the White House of orchestrating a “paid influencer campaign” to discredit him online.

No other members of Congress have publicly reported being uninvited from the event. The White House has not issued a statement on Paul’s claims.