Kibbe on Liberty Ep 346: "Ron Paul's Legacy Can't Be Overstated"

Host: Matt Kibbe | Date: August 20, 2025
Guests: Tom Woods, Bobby Gray, Justin Amash, Chip Roy

Overview

In this special live episode recorded at Ron Paul’s 90th birthday celebration in Lake Jackson, Texas, Matt Kibbe gathers prominent figures from the liberty movement to discuss Ron Paul's transformative influence on their lives and on American politics. Through intimate and energetic conversations with Tom Woods (author and economist), Bobby Gray (crypto entrepreneur), Justin Amash (former congressman), and Chip Roy (current congressman), the episode explores Ron Paul’s unique legacy—his integrity, his impact on sound money and foreign policy debates, and the way his fearless advocacy for liberty redefined civic activism and inspired a new generation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Tom Woods: Personal Impact and Movement Building

[01:09 – 11:16]

• Early Encounter & Influence: Tom Woods shares his first brush with Ron Paul at age 16, spotting a 1988 presidential bumper sticker, which sowed seeds of curiosity. He describes periodically checking on Paul’s reelection, taking comfort in his continued Congressional presence.
  "Every two years, I would check to make sure Ron Paul had been reelected...knowing he was still there made me feel better." — Tom Woods [01:59]

• Unanticipated Movement: Woods recounts the explosive, unexpected nature of Paul’s 2007-08 presidential campaigns—the "End the Fed" chants, the renaissance of Austrian economics, viral videos, and palpable excitement that lifted both Ron Paul and Woods’s own public profile.
  "I couldn't have predicted...there’d be a renaissance of Austrian economics...But it definitely gave me a boost in a number of ways." — Tom Woods [03:10]

• Grassroots Revolution: He notes how social media democratized liberty messaging, bypassing traditional gatekeepers and making radical ideas—sound money, non-interventionism—mainstream for new audiences.
  "It meant that if you had an idea that wasn’t somewhere between Bill Clinton and Bob Dole, you might have a fighting chance of being heard." — Tom Woods [06:54]

• Paul’s Sincerity and Media Hostility: Woods highlights the infamous 2012 MSNBC "missing Ron Paul" incident and the Ron Paul blimp—expressions of how the establishment tried to ignore or diminish Paul, but the grassroots found their megaphone.
  "He’s changed nothing about himself...He doesn’t flatter people. He doesn’t say what focus groups want him to say." — Tom Woods [09:31]

• The Future of the Legacy: Woods is optimistic, seeing liberty-minded voices gain more exposure not by compromise but through being interesting and authentic.
  "Our folks are getting more and more exposure...not by compromising, but by being interesting, informed, entertaining, lively, and different." — Tom Woods [10:35]

2. Bobby Gray: Sound Money, Crypto, and Testifying with Ron Paul

[11:49 – 22:09]

• Genesis in Honest Money: Bobby Gray’s journey began in 2008, tracing societal issues to monetary policy, leading him from gold and silver to founding American Open Currency Standard. He credits Dr. Paul as a catalyst.
  "Every rabbit hole I went down...it was always the same thing. It was always money." — Bobby Gray [12:12]

• Crypto Evolution: Realizing the digital future, Gray transitions from metals to launching "Texas Coin," a geographical, state-centered crypto project.
  "If we're going to be successful with our mission of honest money, we have to use the tools of today's times." — Bobby Gray [12:45]

• First Meeting & Testifying: Presents a Ron Paul coin at FreedomFest (2009) and later is invited by Dr. Paul to testify at his final subcommittee hearing on sound money in 2012—a pivotal moment.
  "I got my five minutes of fame...telling the federal government exactly what we thought about what they’ve done to money so far and to stay out of it." — Bobby Gray [14:48]

• Cautious Optimism on Crypto Legislation: Although the regulatory climate has improved, Gray expresses skepticism about government intervention and Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs).
  "It's great that that's completely changed. It's, it's, it's absolutely wonderful. But I don't trust any of it." — Bobby Gray [17:14]

• Crypto as the New Liberty Tool: Gray sees decentralized, transparent digital currencies as the next essential tool for liberty and honest trade, while noting the unique challenge for traditionalists to accept a non-physical monetary system.
  "We actually have a currency, a monetary system, that is completely transparent...and that's a powerful concept." — Bobby Gray [18:55]

3. Justin Amash: Sincerity in Politics & Hopeful Populism

[22:52 – 35:07]

• Finding a Role Model in Paul: Amash was inspired as a young man by Paul’s 2008 campaign, finally seeing a candidate who embodied the principles he valued—and did so as an authentic, imperfect person.
  "He was who he was. And he presented himself as a human being with all the greatness of Ron Paul and also all the flaws. And I think that was beautiful..." — Justin Amash [25:14]

• Dr. No and Congressional Isolation: Discusses inheriting the "Dr. No" persona along with Thomas Massie, noting that Paul’s unyielding independence was once unique but now is somewhat less lonely for liberty-minded legislators.
  "They made fun of him. Dr. No was not a compliment...But by the time that you and Thomas got there...it was different." — Matt Kibbe & Justin Amash [26:22]

• Politics as Platform, Not Solution: Amash argues that while Congress can’t save the country, principled voices must stand as beacons for others to inspire activism and maintain hope.
  "Congress is not going to save us...But it is important to have those people standing there standing up for principles." — Justin Amash [29:19]

• Making Liberty Cool Again: On the evolution from the Ron Paul Revolution to the Tea Party and MAGA, Amash expresses belief that the younger generation can be won over to hope-filled, community-oriented libertarianism grounded in great philosophical traditions.
  "What Ron Paul presented was much more hopeful than what we see today...There will be room for that next generation to embrace that hope again." — Justin Amash [31:18]

• Hope and Positivity as Core Legacy: Echoing Daniel McAdams, Amash stresses Paul’s optimism and trust in the American people as the central legacy he seeks to carry forward.
  "He was hopeful. He loved the American people, he trusted them, and he had hope that we had this ability to work things out for ourselves." — Matt Kibbe [32:29]
  "He really did change my life. I’m not sure that I would have served in Congress the way I did if he didn’t exist." — Justin Amash [34:35]

4. Chip Roy: Internalizing Ron Paul’s Lessons on Spending, War, and Localism

[35:34 – 56:05]

• Texan Roots & Political Awakening: Roy traces his journey to the ‘90s, when Paul’s challenges to federal power, war, the Fed, and spending drew his focus—principles now more widely echoed in DC, even if mostly privately.
  "How many times every day I hear the phrase ‘Ron Paul was right.’..." — Chip Roy [36:28]

• Connecting Fiscal Policy and Liberty: Roy argues that unchecked spending and the growth of bureaucracy are fundamentally at odds with freedom; persistent attitudes in Congress still favor "spend now, worry never."
  "You're taking all of that and you're giving life and you're giving license to this massive bureaucracy that then undermines our ability to function and live free." — Chip Roy [37:54]

• Foreign Policy Shift and the ‘Forever Wars’: Roy shares his own evolution from post-9/11 hawk to non-interventionist, having witnessed Iraq’s failures as a Hill staffer; credits Paul’s courage in raising "blowback" and non-intervention arguments.
  "There was an entire industry...that was not good for our national security or...our help as a nation." — Chip Roy [41:00]

• Blind Spots Among Conservatives: He and Kibbe bemoan the GOP’s historic refusal to rein in defense spending—Paul’s great heretical stance—while hoping current efforts to reform the military-industrial complex can break old cycles.
  "For some reason, we will give DOD a blank check, assuming that that big bureaucracy wouldn’t possibly waste the money..." — Matt Kibbe [45:07]

• Natural Disaster Response and Federalism: Roy highlights local resilience in the aftermath of Texas floods, arguing that community action—not endless federal bailouts—should be the default after disasters.
  "The federal government is not an ATM every time there’s a disaster...We can solve this problem." — Chip Roy [49:10]

• Incremental Victories & Reason for Optimism: Despite setbacks, Roy points to small gains in transparency, Medicaid reform, and reauthorization fights as evidence the liberty movement is making tangible progress.
  "These seem like crumbs, but they’re incremental gains against an establishment that’s meant against the average American." — Chip Roy [53:07]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Sincerity as a Revolutionary Act in Politics

  • "He doesn't seem like a revolutionary guy, but in politics, sincerity is hard to find." — Matt Kibbe [09:56]

• Ron Paul as the Reluctant Prophet

  • "He knew he was speaking something that he believed in, and you could tell...he wasn’t worried about the appearances." — Justin Amash [25:41]

• Money & Freedom: The Core Battle

  • "We have a monetary system that is completely transparent...We have the most perfect form of money that’s ever existed." — Bobby Gray [18:55]

• Congress as Stage, not Salvation

  • "Congress is not going to save us...We have to do the work as people who care about liberty." — Justin Amash [29:19]

• Party Change Echoed by a New Generation

  • "There is at least a recognition that we need to do that. That's a good thing. And that's a product of Ron and...the libertarian worldview." — Chip Roy [46:15]

• Hope as Enduring Legacy

  • "He really did change my life...he set an example that I think maybe I'll never live up to, but I'll always be striving for it." — Justin Amash [34:35]

Important Segment Timestamps

• Tom Woods on the Ron Paul Movement’s Emergence: [01:09–11:16]
• Bobby Gray’s Crypto Evolution & Testimony for Paul: [11:49–22:09]
• Justin Amash on Sincerity, Hope, and Congressional Lessons: [22:52–35:07]
• Chip Roy on Fiscal Discipline, Defense Blind Spots, and Federalism: [35:34–56:05]

Final Takeaways

This episode underscores the deep, multi-generational impact of Ron Paul—a leader whose unwavering sincerity, dogged independence, and devotion to liberty created not just political ripples, but a lasting network of individuals and communities fighting for honest money, non-intervention, and self-determination. By transforming outsider ideas into mainstream debates—often against fierce resistance—Paul has fostered a legacy that is as much about hope and community-building as it is about policy.

As the guests make clear, the Ron Paul Revolution is alive not merely in Congress, but in the hearts and minds of people—educators, entrepreneurs, lawmakers, and ordinary citizens alike—willing to carry the torch of liberty in evolving and ever-hopeful ways.