Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky). REUTERS/Brian C. Frank Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) slammed the Daily News on Thursday after the New York tabloid shamed him on its cover earlier in the day.

Paul, a 2016 presidential candidate, called the cover "deplorable" on Twitter and linked to a longer statement criticizing the News.

"This cover on the New York Daily News is a deplorable example of the media putting their political agenda over the suffering of victims and their families," the statement said.

"The genuine thoughts and prayers offered to victims in need are not political fodder," it continued. "This attack represents a fundamental problem with the media and politics in general. Attacking religious sentiments to promote an agenda as tragedy strikes is despicable."

The News' front page featured tweets from Paul and three other Republican leaders offering "prayers" after Wednesday's mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, that left 14 people dead. The paper, which frequently crusades on gun control after mass shootings, blasted the Republicans as "cowards" for not doing more to curb gun violence.

The News published its response to Paul and other critics Thursday afternoon.

"The Daily News' front page is not, in any way, shape or form, condemning prayer or religion," editor in chief Jim Rich said in a statement.

"Anyone suggesting otherwise is either — intentionally or unintentionally — misconstruing the point, which is that most GOP politicians have offered nothing but empty platitudes and angry rhetoric in response to the ongoing plague of gun violence in our country," Rich continued.

View the cover below: