Sen. Rand Paul blasted socialists Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders, saying they support the “terrible ideas” of communist dictators Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, and Pol Pot.

Paul, speaking on CSPAN about his new book The Case Against Socialism, began by talking about Venezuela’s failed socialist economy.

“Venezuela is such a disaster. People literally eating their pets,” the Kentucky Republican said. “People killing rats in the street to try to eat them, pigeons. It really is a sad thing.”

Paul went on to say that there needs to be more of a discussion in Congress and in the media about the economic policies of figures like Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders. He said that the two should be challenged over their ideas more frequently.

“We aren’t really talking about which economic system is better,” Paul said, “and nobody in the media seems to care that what AOC is supporting or what Bernie is supporting is Stalin and Mao and Pol Pot and all these terrible ideas."

“And they get away with it because they aren’t challenged,” he said.

