--- title: GOP Debate: Watch Sens. Paul, Rubio Spar Over Foreign Policy description: Marco Rubio called Rand Paul an "isolationist" canonical: https://time.com/4107732/gop-debate-rand-paul-marco-rubio-military/ author: Maya Rhodan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-11-11T04:05:38.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-05T08:39:52.824Z article:section: Politics og:title: GOP Debate: Watch Sens. Paul, Rubio Spar Over Foreign Policy og:description: Marco Rubio called Rand Paul an "isolationist" og:url: https://time.com/4107732/gop-debate-rand-paul-marco-rubio-military/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0a37061fc5ab1cca/698870733c16396bcc45aa32/496567868.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 594 og:image:height: 334 og:image:alt: GOP Presidential Candidates Debate In Milwaukee og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: GOP Debate: Watch Sens. Paul, Rubio Spar Over Foreign Policy twitter:description: Marco Rubio called Rand Paul an "isolationist" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0a37061fc5ab1cca/698870733c16396bcc45aa32/496567868.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Watch Rand Paul and Marco Rubio Spar over Military Spending > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=0cadf075-d20b-4b9d-bd6d-27d73404409d&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: 2016 FOX GOP DEBATE: Paul and Rubio Spar Over Military Spending [Watch (HLS stream): 2016 FOX GOP DEBATE: Paul and Rubio Spar Over Military Spending](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/eyPaYIoy.m3u8) (0:48)  _Published 2015-11-11. Watch Rand Paul and Marco Rubio Spar over Military Spending_ by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Nov 11, 2015 4:05 AM UTC Watch Rand Paul and Marco Rubio Spar over Military Spending by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Nov 11, 2015 4:05 AM UTC Senator Rand Paul traded barbs with Sen. Marco Rubio on military spending and foreign policy at the Republican debate Tuesday night. The Kentucky senator challenged Rubio’s bona fides as a conservative for wanting to maintain funding levels for the military. “How is it conservative to add a trillion dollars in military expenditures?” he said. “You can not be a conservative if you’re going to keep promoting new programs that you can’t pay for.” Rubio hit back by branding Paul an “isolationist,” listing a number of potential and current threats to national security that he argues justify the military budget. “We can’t even have an economy if we’re not safe,” Rubio said. “There are radical jihadists in the Middle East beheading people and crucifying Christians. A radical Shia cleric in Iran trying to get a nuclear weapon. The Chinese taking over the South China Sea.” The moment kicked off a winding pivot on foreign policy in the middle of the debate, which was set to focus on economic issues. Both Paul and Rubio serve on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. ## Transcript Marco, how is it conservative? How is it conservative to add a trillion dollar expenditure for the federal government that you're not paying for. [ CROSSTALK ] Because. Are you talking about the military, Rand? How is it conservative to add a trillion dollars in military expenditures? You cannot be a conservative if you're gonna keep promoting new programs that you're not gonna pay for. We cannot even have an economy if we're not safe. There are radical jihadists in the Middle East beheading people and crucifying Christians. A radical Shia cleric in Iran trying to get a nuclear weapon. The Chinese taking over the South China Sea. Can you be for unlimited military spending and say oh I'm going to make the country safe. No we need a safe country. But you know we spend more On our military than the next ten countries combined? I want a strong national defense, but I don't want us to be bankrupt. 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