Rand Paul said on Friday that, if the Republican establishment tries to block an outsider candidate from winning the party's nomination through a brokered convention, "there'll be war within the party and they'll destroy the party."

Boston radio host Jeff Kuhner asked Paul what he thought of a Washington Post story that reported key figures within the Republican party are preparing for a contested convention in which, the story said, "the GOP's mainstream wing could coalesce around an alternative" to Donald Trump, who continues to lead primary polls.

Paul, who is polling toward the bottom of the Republican presidential field, expressed strong opposition to the plan.

"If the establishment tries to block an outsider from winning the nomination, there'll be war within the party and they'll destroy the party," he said. "The establishment needs to realize that Republicans across the country are unhappy, they're unhappy with the Washington leaders who are not exercising the power of the purse. They're unhappy with Washington leaders not standing up to president Obama. And they're sick and tired of all of it."

"So if they see their will thwarted through the primary process, I think you're gonna find that, uh, there'll be a war declared," Paul continued. "But it'll be a war that the establishment has decided to declare on the grassroots and it's gonna be a real problem."