--- description: John McCain derided Rand Paul's influence in the Senate after he questioned the constitutionality of the Syria airstrikes ordered by Trump title: John McCain Slams Rand Paul Over Syria: 'He Doesn't Have Any Real Influence' image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2423976d72d6c3ae/6988a43a97cdff19666ada1f/mccain.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Politics](/section/politics/) ## Politics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Congress](/tag/congress/) ## Congress Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # John McCain Slams Rand Paul Over Syria: 'He Doesn't Have Any Real Influence' by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 7, 2017 10:19 PM CUT  John McCain, R-Ariz, speaks during a Phoenix Memorial Day Ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona in Phoenix, May 30, 2016. John McCain, R-Ariz, speaks during a Phoenix Memorial Day Ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona in Phoenix, May 30, 2016.Ralph Freso—AP by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 7, 2017 10:19 PM CUT Sen. John McCain slammed his colleague Rand Paul Friday when asked about the latter’s statement disapproving of [U.S. airstrikes on Syria,](http://time.com/4731467/syria-airstrikes-photos/ "undefined") saying Paul had no “real influence” in the chamber. “I don’t really react to Senator Paul, we’re just too different,” McCain told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “He doesn’t have any real influence in the [United States Senate.”](http://time.com/4728265/senate-supreme-court-neil-gorsuch-nuclear-option/ "undefined") “I don’t pay any attention to what Senator Paul says,” he added. Blitzer had asked McCain about the statement Paul issued condemning the [White House’s](http://time.com/4731650/white-house-shakeup-steve-bannon-reince-priebus/ "undefined") decision to conduct unilateral airstrikes on Syria without consulting Congress. “I think what we are doing right now is illegal and unconstitutional,” Paul said Friday on [Fox Business](http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/5389599069001/?#sp=show-clips "undefined"). > [](https://twitter.com/RandPaul/status/850161531094523906) Several other members of Congress have expressed similar concerns about congressional approval. Rep. Adam Schiff said he will re-introduce an authorization for the use of military force against ISIS and al Qaeda when Congress returns to session in two weeks. “Congress cannot abdicate its responsibility any longer and should vote on any use of force not made in self-defense,” Schiff said in a statement. McCain, who doesn’t agree with Paul’s assessment that President Trump needed congressional approval to launch the airstrikes, issued[ a joint statement ](https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=E83209A8-647E-48D5-9B30-8F1AA3580F0A "undefined")with Senator Lindsey Graham supporting the actions. “Unlike the previous administration, President Trump confronted a pivotal moment in Syria and took action,” McCain and Graham said. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4731909/john-mccain-syria-rand-paul-donald-trump/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4731909/john-mccain-syria-rand-paul-donald-trump/"},"headline":"John McCain Slams Rand Paul Over Syria: 'He Doesn't Have Any Real Influence'","datePublished":"2017-04-07T22:19:50.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T04:18:09.971Z","description":"\"I don't pay any attention to what Senator Paul says\"","url":"https://time.com/4731909/john-mccain-syria-rand-paul-donald-trump/","keywords":["Congress","Syria","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2423976d72d6c3ae/6988a43a97cdff19666ada1f/mccain.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Staff","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/time-staff/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2423976d72d6c3ae/6988a43a97cdff19666ada1f/mccain.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Campaign 2016 Congress","caption":"John McCain, R-Ariz, speaks during a Phoenix Memorial Day Ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona in Phoenix, May 30, 2016.","creditText":"Ralph Freso—AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/congress/","name":"Congress"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4731909/john-mccain-syria-rand-paul-donald-trump/","name":"John McCain Slams Rand Paul Over Syria: 'He Doesn't Have Any Real Influence'"}}]}] ```