Paul Ryan Tells House GOP He Will Not Campaign With or Defend Trump, but Still Endorses Him
‘You All Need to Do What’s Best for You in Your District’
Speaker Paul Ryan Monday morning told his fellow Republican House members going forward he will not campaign with Donald Trump or defend him, but he also refuses to revoke his endorsement of the GOP presidential nominee.Â
JUST IN: House Speaker Paul Ryan says he will no longer defend Donald Trump https://t.co/BqXkHxg7P2 https://t.co/2f7pwwyNlg
— CNN (@CNN) October 10, 2016
Ryan, who will spend the next month campaigning in 42 cities across 17 states, also told House Republicans they should do whatever they need to do in order to keep their seats in November. Over the weekend rumors grew that House Republicans are afraid of losing their majority, after Friday’s release of the damning 2005 “Access Hollywood” video of Trump using lewd and vulgar language and describing actions of sexual assault.
“You all need to do what’s best for you in your district,” Speaker Ryan reportedly told members on a Monday morning conference call, Politico reports, characterizing it as “the biggest and most dramatic split between the highest-ranking Republican lawmaker on Capitol Hill and the GOP presidential nominee.”
The far right on Twitter expressed their anger quickly:
Paul Ryan sucks. That is all.
— Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii) October 10, 2016
Reaction from others on Twitter was immediate and strong, mocking what some say is Ryan’s lack of courage:
.@SpeakerRyan You won’t campaign for Trump over his 11 yr old locker room talk? You are a weak little man. GROW UP!#HypocritesForHillary
— Christie 🇺🇸 (@ChristieC733) October 10, 2016
So pull your endorsement, @SpeakerRyan. Show us the fucking bare minimum of leadership. https://t.co/yDGUOcJ10K
— Mike Monteiro (@monteiro) October 10, 2016
Profile in courage: Paul Ryan – not withdrawing his endorsement but refusing to campaign with Trump. Come on. What would it take, Speaker?
— Jeremy Bird (@jeremybird) October 10, 2016
paul ryan says he will still order the fries, but will not eat them
— Jason Gay (@jasongay) October 10, 2016
How much does Paul Ryan wish he had stayed as Ways & Means Chair?
— Josh Barro (@jbarro) October 10, 2016
Â

Enjoy this piece?
… then let us make a small request. The New Civil Rights Movement depends on readers like you to meet our ongoing expenses and continue producing quality progressive journalism. Three Silicon Valley giants consume 70 percent of all online advertising dollars, so we need your help to continue doing what we do.
NCRM is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. From unflinching coverage of religious extremism, to spotlighting efforts to roll back our rights, NCRM continues to speak truth to power. America needs independent voices like NCRM to be sure no one is forgotten.
Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Help ensure NCRM remains independent long into the future. Support progressive journalism with a one-time contribution to NCRM, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click here to donate by check.
![]() |