Sen. Rand Paul said he’s not flip-flopped on his opposition to domestic drone use. He just misspoke and on Tuesday, he clarified.
“My comments last night left the mistaken impression that my position on drones had changed,” he said on Tuesday, about the previous evening’s Fox Business Network comments that got him in hot water.
The comments: He said he didn’t mind the use of drones in cases of “imminent threat,” Politico reported.
In full, he said on Fox Business Network on Monday: “I never argued against any technology being used when you have an imminent threat, an active crime going on. If someone comes out of a liquor store with a weapon and $50 in cash, I don’t care if a drone kills him or policeman kills him. But it is different if they want to come fly over your hot tub or your yard just because they want to do surveillance on everyone, and they want to watch your activity.”
Backtracking and clarifying, he said on Tuesday that drones should only be “considered in extraordinary, lethal situations,” and not “in normal crime situations,” Politico reported.
“Armed drones … may only be considered in extraordinary, lethal situations where there is an ongoing imminent threat,” he said, Politico reported. “Additionally, surveillance drones should only be used with warrants and specific threats.”
SEE ALSO: White House ducks drone hearings, draws senators’ scorn
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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