Sen. Rand Paul is trying to shed the perception that he 's an isolationist and that he thinks the United States should retreat from intervention in other countries ' affairs . But members of his own party are making it hard for the Kentucky Republican to escape that image . Sen. John McCain , one of the most hawkish members of the Senate , told Fox News host Neil Cavuto on Tuesday night that Paul has `` a fundamental lack of understanding of the situation and the threats we face '' from ISIS . Referring to Paul 's evolving position on ISIS , McCain said the libertarian-leaning senator `` has obviously been doing somersaults '' since the Sunni militant group gruesomely killed two American journalists and a British aid worker . Paul , who is seriously considering a presidential run in 2016 , responded to his critics in an interview released Wednesday in The Federalist , telling the conservative Web magazine how `` frustrating '' these labels are for him . `` I spent the past five years in public life telling everyone that 'hey , I 'm not an isolationist ' ... and when they find out I 'm not , they say I 've switched positions , because I 'm not the position they were saying I was . You know what I mean ? So for five years they 've been accusing me of being something that I say I 'm not . '' But McCain apparently does n't buy this explanation . He said Paul has `` dramatically shifted his positions on national security . He said we should n't intervene , no matter what , anywhere . And now obviously he wants to take out ISIS . '' `` I think it 's kind of a desperation kind of trying to find some footing here as he slides down a very steep slope of credibility . '' Former Vice President Dick Cheney has also been critical of Paul 's foreign policy stance . On ABC 's `` This Week '' in June , Cheney described him as `` basically an isolationist . That did n't work in the 1930s ; it sure as heck wo n't work in the aftermath of 9/11 . '' Facing such vocal opposition in the Republican Party , Paul continues to battle the image of an isolationist with shifting views . Paul told CBS `` This Morning '' earlier this week that his perception of ISIS has evolved as world events changed , adding that the killings of Steven Sotloff , James Foley and David Haines `` influenced '' his position . Paul has said he does n't back arming Syrian rebels , a position McCain has supported since Syria 's civil war broke out three years ago . But Paul has been noncommittal on what the United States should do except that the Congress should determine the path forward . In The Federalist interview , Paul did n't deny that he 's skeptical of U.S. intervention . `` We have to be very wary of intervention and that there are often unintended consequences , '' he said . `` At the same time , I 've also said all along that I 'm not for no interventions . '' McCain , however , remains skeptical . When Cavuto asked him if Paul would be a good commander in chief , he replied , `` Not on national security . No . '' War against ISIS : What does Rand Paul 's 'yes ' mean ?
Sen. John McCain insists Sen. Rand Paul is an isolationist . The Arizona senator has been a vocal critic of the Iran nuclear deal and recently said he would vote against it if Congress passed it. Paul has been `` doing somersaults '' after ISIS beheadings of Westerners . Dick Cheney also has been critical of Paul on foreign policy . Paul , a possible 2016 GOP presidential candidate , denies switching foreign policy views .