Picnicgate: Trump reinvites Rand Paul to party after fury over 'petty' snub

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who is vocally opposed to President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill," has apparently been re-invited to the congressional picnic planned for the White House lawn.

On Wednesday, Paul said he tried to pick up his tickets to the much-anticipated event, only to be told, "You were not invited."

Paul told reporters on the Capitol steps Wednesday that whoever was behind his picnic rejection was acting in a "very petty way."

But on Thursday morning, Trump took to Truth Social to debunk picnicgate.

"Of course Senator Rand Paul and his beautiful wife and family are invited to the BIG White House Party tonight. He’s the toughest vote in the history of the U.S. Senate, but why wouldn’t he be?" Trump wrote.

"Besides, it gives me more time to get his Vote on the Great, Big, Beautiful Bill, one of the greatest and most important pieces of legislation ever put before our Senators & Congressmen/women. It will help to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! I look forward to seeing Rand. The Party will be Great!"

On Fox News Sunday, Paul said, "Somebody has to stand up and yell, the emperor has no clothes, and everybody's falling in lockstep on this, passed the big, beautiful bill, don't question anything. This is a problem we've been facing for decades now, and if we don't stand up on it, I really fear the direction the country is going."

Trump has lashed out at Paul's opposition to the funding bill, writing on social media, "Rand votes NO on everything, but never has any practical or constructive ideas," he added several minutes later. "His ideas are actually crazy (losers!). The people of Kentucky can't stand him."

Anti-Trump attorney George Conway made light of the invite debacle on X, writing, "Being uninvited from the White House caused Rand Paul to lose a lot of the respect he had for Donald Trump that Trump’s two impeachments, insurrection, four criminal indictments, criminal conviction, and sexual abuse damages verdict did not cause him to lose. Got it."