Senator Rand Paul officially announced his bid for the White House on Tuesday as his fellow Republicans scrutinized the Kentucky native on his apparently erratic stance on his party's core values, the Associated Press reported.
"I am running for president to return our country to the principles of liberty and limited government," Paul, a former ophthalmologist, wrote on his website ahead of his official announcement speech in Louisville.
The theme of returning to principles of liberty continued at his speech Tuesday, with the senator vowing to reform Washington and rage against the "machine" that it is.
"Government should be restrained and freedom should be maximized," he said according to CNN.
After Kentucky, Paul will head off to early primary states including Iowa, South Carolina and Nevada to wow prospective voters with his brilliant mix of hardcore Republican values and liberal ideals, such as relaxing drug laws and reducing the size of the U.S. military.
But as his official announcement drew nearer, Paul shifted away from his usual "less military spending" stance to convince the GOP he is the right fit for the presidential nomination, a tactic that some say may backfire.
"The issue on Sen. Paul and national security issues is where he comes down in the continuing conflict between his principles and his ambition," John Bolton, former U.N. ambassador who may enter the race for the Republican nomination, told the AP.
Several years ago, the senator wrote in a 2012 budget proposal that military spending should be reduced and that there should be fewer troops at the Defense Department.
"The DOD should not be treated sacrosanct with regard to the treatment of taxpayer dollars," Paul wrote.
Last month, however, he said the department's budget should be increased by 16 percent, according to the AP.
"On any given day, it's hard to know where he will be," Bolton said.
"I believe in redemption, and I hope he comes all the way over. But I just don't know what's at work in his mind."
Rand is slated to visit the early primary states this week.
