Rep. Ron Paul challenged his GOP opponents at tonight’s CNN/ Western Republican Leadership debate to get real about cutting federal spending.

The U.S. Congressman from Texas was asked if his tax plan — which cuts $1 trillion from the federal budget by eliminating five cabinet departments and 15 percent from the defense budget — hurts American’s military.

Paul responded by questioning the need to have a military presence around the world that war.

“We are on economic suicide if we are not willing to look at these overseas expenditures,” said Paul. “I want to hear someone up here willing to cut something that is real.”

Part of that $1 trillion saving would also come from ending all foreign aid.

“It’s the easiest thing to cut,” said Paul.

“To me, foreign aid is taking money from poor people in this country and giving it to rich people in poor countries, and it becomes weapons of war, essentially, no well — no matter how well motivated it is.”

Paul was characteristically his feisty self, defending Nevada’s right not to accept nuclear waste from around the county.  It’s a comment that drew cheers from the audience and was seconded by both Gov. Mitt Romney and Gov. Rick Perry.