Ryan went on to say that, as the chair of the Republican National Convention, a responsibility that came with his speakership—there was another bit about how he’d been told that only after he’d taken the job
Top allies break with Ryan over Trump
Ross said it’s hard to take a stand like Ryan’s when 45 percent of Republicans in his district voted for Trump. That’s his predicament right now.
.. Many believed lawmakers in the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, for example, would line up behind Trump. But, in turns out, many of the group’s members are repelled by the New Yorker over what they call his “disdain” for the Constitution.
.. Meanwhile, vulnerable lawmakers facing tight reelection races are coming down on both sides: Broadly speaking, they take Ryan’s approach if they’re facing a threat from Democrats on the left, but stand with Trump if they’re facing a primary challenge from the right.
.. Meanwhile, vulnerable lawmakers facing tight reelection races are coming down on both sides: Broadly speaking, they take Ryan’s approach if they’re facing a threat from Democrats on the left, but stand with Trump if they’re facing a primary challenge from the right.
.. “I think we all should humble ourselves to a degree and unite,” he said. “We can’t be angry and upset and say, ‘We’re just going to take our ball and go home.’ That is not why we were elected. We’re supposed to be leaders and play with the cards we’re dealt.”
Ryan-Trump Breach May Be Beyond Repair
He could not bring himself to give even nominal support to Mr. Trump, despite pressure from more conservative House Republicans, after the candidate disparaged various ethnic groups and accused Senator Ted Cruz’s father of conspiring with Lee Harvey Oswald, among other inflammatory comments. Those remarks determined Mr. Ryan’s course far more than the considerable differences on policy between the men.
.. First, and most important: he can do it. Unlike former Speaker John A. Boehner, who had to fight to cling to his gavel almost from the moment he took it in 2011, Mr. Ryan was drafted into his job by the majority of his conference. And unlike Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, who says he supports Mr. Trump, Mr. Ryan is largely impervious to criticism from the right. Agree or disagree with Mr. Ryan, at this point his members need him more than he needs them, at least to prevent unmitigated chaos in their ranks.
.. But for Mr. Ryan, Mr. Trump’s conduct appears to loom larger than the speaker’s policy dreams. So even if the candidate shows up at the Capitol next week and says “I fully support this agenda,” it would almost certainly not be enough, Ryan aides say.
How Ryan decided to ditch Trump
The speaker did not expect Trump to clinch the nomination so soon and huddled quickly with advisers to plot his break.
.. The decision will shape Ryan’s political future in the short and long term, and could have a real effect on the outcome of the 2016 election. Immediately, the move could give the 200-plus Republicans up for reelection — particularly those in the swing districts that will decide the size of the GOP’s majority, or even whether it keeps the House — a measure of cover from Trump’s unpopularity.