Wednesday on Fox News Channel’s “The Kelly File,” Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) explained to host Megyn Kelly where he saw inconsistencies from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), one of his opponents for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination, on the issues of immigration and the NSA data collection program.

Paul said those inconsistencies raise questions about his U.S. Senate colleague’s “authenticity.”

“I think the biggest problem that Cruz faces right now is authenticity,” Paul said. “He was for the NSA reform, saying the government shouldn’t collect all our phone records. But then in the debate, his response to Rubio was, oh no, he voted for the reform to allow the government to collect 100 percent of our cell phone records. So I think people who like my candidacy are wondering – if they’re trying to choose between Paul and Cruz – they’re wondering about his authenticity.”

“I think the same on immigration,” he continued. “He’s gone back and forth and he says the whole world is against or is for amnesty. And he is the only pure blooded that was against amnesty. The problem is once he was up here debating, he actually was for legalization. And now he’s sort of trying to have it both ways. I think the authenticity part is going to be his difficulty and maybe his undoing.”

Paul was also asked about Cruz’s Canadian birthplace, to which Paul suggested could be problematic for Cruz in the long-term.

“The Canadian citizenship – it would be extraordinary to have someone born in Canada as nominee or as president,” he added. “It never has happened before, so it would be extraordinary. It’s never been litigated at the Supreme Court level and ultimately I think the Democrats will force it all the way to the Supreme Court.”

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