Ron Paul warns of 'dictatorship' in Washington, D.C.

GOP Presidential candidate Texas Rep. Ron Paul warned of too much dictatorship in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday during a campaign stop in Mason City, Iowa.

We're not on the verge of having a king, but we are on the verge of having way too much dictatorship in Washington, D.C., Paul said, comparing the U.S.'s current situation to a Biblical story in which ancient Israelites demanded, against their own good, that a king rule their land instead of God, The Hill reported.

Our rights come from our creator, not our government, Paul said, The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reported.

Paul announced last month that he will run for president for the third time. A former flight surgeon and critic of the Federal Reserve, he was first elected to Congress in 1976.

Paul, whose strong libertarian principles have put him at odds on social policy with many in the Republican Party, also said he has observed a seismic shift in American politics.

The mainstream is changing, he said. The mainstream wants balanced budgets, sound government and personal liberties - that is mainstream. The shift is in our direction - obeying the Constitution for a change.