‘Their goal is terrorism’: Rand Paul calls for crackdown on Black Lives Matter at Senate national security hearing

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) identified the Black Lives Matter movement as a terrorist organization after he was confronted by angry protesters outside the Republican National Convention.

The Kentucky Republican and his wife were surrounded by demonstrators Aug. 28 outside the RNC who called for justice for Breonna Taylor, one of the libertarian lawmaker's constituents who was fatally shot by police executing a search warrant at her apartment, and Paul called for a crackdown on the civil rights movement.

"We do have to investigate these people, and we have to put blame where blame is," Paul told the Homeland Security Committee. "We need to find out who's financing them. If you're from out of state and you attack someone in D.C., I would think the FBI or federal authorities should investigate how he got there, who's paying for it. I can tell you Black Lives Matter is supporting these folks and that we shouldn't shy away from attributing blame where blame goes."

Paul claimed the head of Black Lives Matter in Louisville responded to his being accosted by protesters in Washington by saying she wanted him to live in fear, and he said that made the movement a terrorist group.

"Their goal is terrorism," he said. "They're admitting it. If you look at their exchanges online and social media, they're saying their goal is to terrorize public officials, and really anybody. Many of the people at the restaurants being terrorized are not public officials. But their goal is terror."

"Whether that equates to something that you can legally investigate," he added, "I don't know. But we should know that and we should let corporate America know that. Corporate America is giving millions of dollars to something they perceive is an anti-racist group. In reality, it is a group that is funding terror and funding terrorists to go from city to city."