House Speaker Paul Ryan, a day after throwing his support behind Donald Trump, already has had to distance himself from one of the presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s comments. McConnell said he recently told Trump at an NRA convention: “I think you are very good at entertaining large audiences and you have a lot of Twitter followers, and that has certainly gotten you as far as you are – to where you are today”.
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Trump’s previous comments about Judge Gonzalo Curiel – and Mexican-Americans more broadly – inspired the head of Hispanic media relations at the Republican National Committee to resign from her post on Wednesday. “I hope it’s not necessary”, Ryan said.
Why couldn’t Paul Ryan do something to make it harder for Trump to win so we can say ‘we told you so’ in November?
Ryan, who represents Wisconsin’s first district, endorsed Trump for president in a Wall Street Journal op-ed Thursday.
“Instead of trapping people in poverty, we can get them on the ladder of opportunity, reward work, open our economy so everyone can make the most of their lives”, Ryan said in a video released by his office Friday.
Martinez told a New Mexico television station two weeks ago that she didn’t know if she would be backing Trump but she certainly wouldn’t be voting for Hillary Clinton, the likely Democratic nominee.
That endorsement has understandably overshadowed discussion of the ideas on Ryan’s agenda, but we hope that situation changes soon.
After sharply criticizing New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, Donald Trump now says he wants the governor’s endorsement. “‘A Hispanic can not judge a case against me.’ That is what he Trump is saying”, Megyn Kelly said.
In the radio interview, Ryan seemed optimistic that House Republicans could control Trump, saying, “We believe we in the House can add a keel and a rudder to this ship, and give it substance and give it direction”.
“I don’t care what he calls me or what he says or if he’s telling the truth or lies – it just doesn’t affect me”, Martinez told KOB Friday.
GOP operative Tim Miller, among a shrinking group of vocal anti-Trump Republicans, offered a warning to any party leaders who believe they can influence Trump by joining his campaign.
“Ryan has backed away from his own criticisms of Trump’s risky, divisive campaign, bowed down, kissed the ring, and conceded that Trump is the leader of the Republican Party”, said Democratic National Committee chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Donald Trump is now mainstream Republican values.
Now, only a handful of Republican leaders recognize that there’s more to lose than gain from a Trump presidency. To that end, next week he said the House Republicans will unveil a multi-point agenda that they’ll be advocating.
In a later Associated Press interview, Ryan admitted, “I had friends wishing I wouldn’t support him”.
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“We can’t just blow another election”.
