Rand Paul is trying to steal some attention from Donald Trump, going on Fox News to release a campaign video showing him attacking the U.S. tax code with a chainsaw, wood chipper and flames.
The Kentucky senator, wearing a blue jeans, a “Detroit Republican” t-shirt and what sounds like the Jimi Hendrix rendition of the star-spangled banner in the background, grimaces in the video as his chainsaw cuts into stacks of paper.
“I’m trying to kill the tax code, all 70,000 pages of it,” he says.
It’s an attempt to gin up some excitement for Paul’s proposal for a flat tax. He released the plan a month ago but it has received little attention since.
Paul is proposing to replace the current tax system with a 14.5 percent tax on individuals and businesses.
Paul’s campaign for the Republican presidential nomination could use a boost. Polls show him in the middle of the pack among the large field of Republican contenders, while Trump is in the lead.