Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) responded on CNN's "Erin Burnett OutFront" Thursday to critics of his stance on the Obama administration's drone program.
He said he was justified in asking the White House to respond to whether it believed it had the authority to kill Americans on U.S. soil using an unmanned drone.
"Who gets to make the judgment who's an enemy combatant and who's not?" Paul asked. "Who gets to make the judgement, 'Oh, he's associated with terrorists?'"
Paul gained widespread bipartisan attention for his nearly 13-hour filibuster on Wednesday, which delayed the confirmation of John Brennan as President Barack Obama's next CIA director in protest of the administration's drone policy.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) was among those who criticized Paul's filibuster, claiming the Kentucky senator's hypothetical questions into the drone program were " a stretch of the imagination, which is frankly, ridiculous."
The White House responded on Thursday with a "no," stating the administration does not have the authority for strikes within the U.S. on American citizens. Brennan was confirmed later the same day and sworn in on Friday.
Watch a clip of the Rand Paul interview above.
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