Emerging from two years of relative silence, former House Speaker Paul Ryan joined the fight against Donald Trump on Thursday, urging fellow conservatives to reject the former president’s divisive politics and those Republican leaders who emulate him.
Ryan made his remarks during an evening address at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California. He was critical of both Republicans and Democrats, though he saved his sharpest barbs for Trump, who is by most measures the leader of the modern-day Republican Party.
“It was horrifying to see a presidency come to such a dishonorable and disgraceful end,” Ryan said, referring to the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol that Trump inspired on Jan. 6.
“Once again, we conservatives find ourselves at a crossroads,” Ryan continued. “And here’s the reality that we have to face: If the conservative cause depends on the populist appeal of one personality, or on second-rate imitations, then we’re not going anywhere. Voters looking for Republican leaders want to see independence and mettle. They will not be impressed by the sight of yes-men and flatterers flocking to Mar-a-Lago.”
President Trump Responds:
RINO Paul Ryan, who became a lame duck Speaker of the House, lost all vote-getting capability with the people he represented in Wisconsin, and was the single biggest factor, other than Romney himself, for the monumental Romney/Ryan loss in the Presidential race of 2012 (I got more votes by far, 75M, than any sitting president in history!), and he is now speaking to other Republicans telling them how to win elections. Interestingly, I was in the Great State of Wisconsin when they booed him off the podium—I literally had to come to his rescue.
Read more From the Desk of Donald J. Trump
It’s unclear how much impact Ryan’s words will have in the broader fight for the future of the GOP, if any. Ryan, the 2012 Republican vice presidential nominee, was among the most respected Republicans in the nation’s capital before Trump’s rise, but two years out of office, his open contempt for Trump is not in line with the vast majority of Republican voters and elected officials.
A tiny but growing group of anti-Trump Republicans has struggled to steer the party in a new direction, even as Trump continues to promote the same false claims — that he would have won the 2020 election if not for mass voter fraud — that inspired the Capitol insurrection. At the same time, Trump is openly contemplating another presidential run in 2024.
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Hear Ryaan’s speech for yourself.
One of Trump’s most vocal allies on Capitol Hill, Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., lashed out at Ryan on Twitter ahead of the speech.
“It really is amazing that Paul Ryan, who is the reason the GOP lost the House in 2018, is going to come out today and blame Trump for the problems in the GOP,” she said, adding a shot at another Trump critic, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo. “Paul, the problem is you and your pal Liz.”
Ryan spoke Thursday as the opening speaker for the Reagan library’s “Time for Choosing” series, which will later feature 2024 Republican presidential prospects such as former Vice President Mike Pence, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Those close to Ryan, 51, do not expect him to run for public office again, but they suggest he is paying close attention and remains concerned about the future of the party. The Wisconsin Republican also sits on the board of Fox Corp., which owns Fox News.
In his remarks, Ryan described President Joe Biden’s agenda as “more leftist than any president in my lifetime” and warned of exploding federal spending under the Democrats who control Washington. He lamented the GOP’s interest in culture wars and “identity politics” at the expense of conservative principles.
“Culture matters, absolutely yes, but our party must be defined by more than a tussle over the latest grievance or perceived slight,” he said. “We must not let them take priority over solutions — grounded in principle — to improve people’s lives.”
The Republican Party has an opportunity to win elections and address critical policy challenges, as long as they don’t get in their own way, Ryan continued.
“If we fail this test, it will be because the progressive left will have won by default,” he said. “It will be because the conservative cause … lost its way and followed the left into the trap of identity politics, defining itself by resentments instead of by ideals. It will be because we mistake reactionary skirmishes in the culture wars with a coherent agenda. It will be because we gave too much allegiance to one passing political figure and weren’t loyal enough to our principles.”
© 2021 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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RINO Ryan—a relic from the past.
Just stay a relic. If you’re so concerned about the Republican Party, where were you when you were needed?
He’s a mitt romneyh wanna be and a complete and total disappointment.
May as well be a democrat
PITY he’s not an ACTUAL relic, we can just leave in a museum…
Ryan is correct. Trump is poison for the Republican party. Mind you, I voted for him twice, and would again faute de mieux, but I hold him accountable for the loss of 40 congressional seats and 2 senate seats, by making those races about him rather than the local issues.
Despite all the good things he did, the disgust that he engendered by his narcissism and imaginary truths, not just in the Ds but even, tragically, in the independents and now in many Republicans, makes his contact lethal.
The party, if it is to survive this, must unleash itself from Trump.
Somebody predicted this in 2016 https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2016/02/throwing_the_dice_on_trump.html
nice imagination.
Perhaps you could make a career in writing science fiction?
IF you hate trump so much J, why not go all the way, and totally convert to libtardism!
The worst day under Trump even during the peak of the pandemic is still scores better than the best day that the Manchurian Candidate known has Biden could fabricate.
Busy keeping Devin Nunes quiet about the corruption he discovered in the FBI & the FISA Court!
“relic”…
I did not know that boehnors tampon would rate that high.
You gotta be kidding this do nothing rino has no scruples . Just a lip flapping idiot like romney
God bless Paul Ryan.
I voted for Trump twice, and would again, faute de mieux, but I hope to never have to do that. Because he will never win another election. The vitriol generated by his words (not his actions) makes that impossible.
He is an albatross around the neck of the R party, and was responsible for the loss of 40 congressional seats and 2 senate seats by making those races about him rather than local issues.
The R party is more important than Trump because it has been and may be in the future responsive to the constitutional demands of our founding.
There has been no greater political document than our constitution, and the republican party is the only hope for its survival.
Trump is a ball and chain we should be immediately released from.
I hope Ryan wins the nomination. He’s a rational man, and we need that.
RINO Paul Ryan said “It was horrifying to see a presidency come to such a dishonorable and disgraceful end,”
Impeachment is only being charged, NOT convicted.
President was never convicted of the Democrats Lies and allegations.
Nancy Pelosi admitted an unfortunate truth about her fabricated impeachment “farce”
– It hinges on witness’s “allegations” not “proof”.
Pelosi Impeachment: “It’s Not A Question” Of “Proof” It’s About “Allegations”.
https://youtu.be/7dzhIxeF204
I guess if a Democrat calls you a duck, you are guilty of being a duck. Quack, quack.
To Democrats, Truth, Facts, Reality and History are all irrelevant if the Democrat does NOT WANT to believe them.
Democrats will just make up their own Truth, Facts, Reality and History that they WANT to believe or
fit into their Con or Deception that they are running at the time.
THE Only reason it was so disgraceful, was CAUSE RINOS and traitors like him, FOUGHT against WHAT WE THE PEOPLE voted for, TOOTH AND NAIL for all four years he was in office!!
It is more horrifying to see how deep and wide spread the corruption and dishonesty goes in acronym agencies in D.C. We can no longer rely on the FBI, CIA, DOJ, NSA, etc. And special thanks to RINO Ryan & Back-stabbing Romney for doing all they could to destroy chances for keeping our nation safe and secure and supporting the best President we’ve had in my lifetime! Smooth talking is a characteristic of politicians; thank GOD President Trump didn’t subscribe. He kept his campaign promises. I still remember the end of the film “UNDEFEATED” where Andrew Breitbart comes out on an empty stage and calls out the Old Guard Republicans for their failure to stand up for Sarah Palin. Everything he said about them was spot on!
These days, it seems easier to list what ‘acronym agencies’ that are left, that are NOT ROTTED to the core by the deep state scumsucking swamp dwellers.. Because there ARE NONE< so it seems.
Paul Ryan is proof positive that when you compromise with the Devil you are half way to hell. The Devil’s job is to compromise your morality, ability to self-govern, and lead you into temptation to do that which diminishes your spirit and the personal property that acts as a protective barrier between you and the hunger and poverty the Devil offers. The Devil can appear in the form of a beautiful fallen Angel of light, or a head-horned beast of consumption, or in Ryan’s case a pasty faced establishment politician boy wonder who when given the opportunity to get real legislation passed to empower THE PEOPLE, just sat on his hands during the 2 years of Conservative house and Senate majority opportunity to really change things, and when he did wave his hands just orchestrated the Establishment mythology version of a Wagnerian opera with Trump starring as the tragic ending mock hero, destined to get slain as the fall guy hero, with the American ship of State turned back into the Flying Dutchman, Captained by Liz Cheney Trump hating Valkyries, with the recurring Leitmotif music of an impending Straus Fledermaus election stealing Bat infection flittering about the background.
““Once again, we conservatives find ourselves at a crossroads,”,,,,,make that the Establishment double-cross road.
He should just shut up and crawl back into his weak, leaderless, hole. He showed his true establishment, rino, status when he couldn’t get anything done with the majorities. That’s what’s wrong with the republicans, they will fight their own over fighting the real threats to our nation, our rights, etc. The demorats might be wrong but at least they stick together. They all hated trump because he highlighted the corruption, the uselessness, the weak, the career feckless employees, the waste of our monies and the priorities of all these politicians at the expense of real, hardworking , patriotic americans. These politicians are selfish, and narrow minded, and completely out of touch.
Paul Ryan is a traitor, as far as I am concerned he should be sent to gitmo with the rest of these crooks
Who wrote Ryan’s speech, his wife? Ryan is not a Conservative nor a Republican. He is Socialist and a Democrat shill. He was **** as speaker and noone with any brains cares what he says.
I’d certainly LOVE TO see RYAN and all the other traitors, sent PERMANENTLY TO gitmo…
Absolutely, agree!
Paul Ryan is what is wrong with the Republican Party.
RHINO profiting off his former position.
Paul Ryan: ” urging fellow conservatives to reject the former president’s divisive politics”. Yep Paul, you lost the House, you gave Trump no money for the border wall, you would not allow the Freedom Caucus to issue subpoenas against those that perpetrated the phony Russia Collusion hoax, you refused to give money to certain Republicans running for House seats. Yep, Paul, you are a Conservative in the mold of John Traitor McCain and Bill Kristol. You are a joke, Paul Ryan. A true RINO.
IF he’s a conservative, i am a statue of gold..
Have you ever given ANY thought, Paul, what MIGHT have happened, if you RINOs had TRIED to work WITH Trump, instead of oppose him?
Bottom line…
YOU don’t represent MY GOP! Trump does!
If YOU don’t like the direction that Trump (and those of us who support him) want for America and WE, THE PEOPLE, then LEAVE (just like you left the House)!
If Ryan really believes his own ********, then he needs to go ahead and join the Demonrats. He’s one of them at heart already.
IF we send all the rinos over to the DEMS< where they truly belong, that IMO would give them at LEAST a 70/30 majority… BETTER TO JUST KICK THEM ALL out of the GOP and replace them, with TRUE conservatives.. Assuming we can find enough to REPLACE these traitorous hacks..
Paul Ryan should find another line of work, there isn’t room for Snowflake’s in the Republican Party. Our Nation is under the threat of Communist. The last thing we should do is lay down as Paul Ryan would have us do.
Pathetic deceiver popping up from some RINO sewer should be crowned
with a bag of (————) (fill in the blanks. He was useless and a fraud as a
Republican, made his bed in China where he is appreciated…………….William
RE: Paul Ryan
“A nation can survive its fools and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself.” ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BC)
Zemo said it perfectly in Capt america civil war.. You can’t bring a nation (the avengers) down from the outside, but if you get them fighting each other, they will fall… (or something to that effect).
It still amazes me that people are calling the storming of the capital building by a small number of people an insurrection, yet all the damage and destruction brought on several of our bigger cities by the rioters and looters of the blm and antifa is only called a peaceful protest. The citizens of this country need to wake up to the fact that liberalism will destroy not only our cities but our country as well.
PITY most of those who are seeing it that way, are TOO BRAINWASHED to realize they are nothing but USEFUL IDIOTS to those wishing to destroy our nation, from the inside out…
I don’t think Ryan is seeing the Trump-hate as a Democrat-Republican view; I think that as an elitist from The Swamp he viewed Trump as not eligible to join “The Club”, and thus used all his influence to obstruct and discredit the Outsider.
Seeing that Ryan is on the Board of Fox News clarifies the recent changes in staffing and format from past Fox endeavors, along with Murdoch The Younger.
At least there are several alternatives with less baggage.
This not surprising coming from a swamp rat.
There’s days i really would love to send all those “Swamp dwellers” into a REAL SWAMP, so they could come face to face with REAL SWAMP critters..
BUT then that may be seen as animal cruelty, as that would give the crocks and snakes, food poisoning.
paul who??????????
In his remarks, Ryan described President Joe Biden’s agenda as “more leftist than any president in my lifetime”
It seems to me, he should have thought of that before lending aid & comfort to those in the GOP who stood by with hands in pockets as they watched Trump get railroaded.
But hey, at least now we’re safe from those mean tweets, amiright? :-p
The only thing that made Trump’s last days in office dishonorable and disgraceful is the theft of the election by dummycrats and RINOs like Paul Ryan. No dirty rotten two faced back stabbing lying RINO is going to tell me how to vote.
Exactamundo.. THEIR ACTIONS< in stabbing we the people< AND THE president WE voted for, is what is the true disgrace..
Paul and the rest of the RINOS should shut the blankety-blank up and stop helping the Democrats. This **** of the Democrats sounding like they discuss terminology on the phone every weekend and the GOP sounding like chickens with heads chopped off must cease or our ***es are grass.
Paul Ryan…. we all had such high hopes.. such a disappointment.
So true! He becomes Speaker and rushes up to the WH to parley with 0bama. Then he sits at a speech where 0bama insults him and becomes a puppet for 0bama’s agenda. Imagine the shock in so many Republicans to find out that both Ryan AND Romney are RINOs and back-stabbing weasels.
Most of us knew he was a rino from the get go,w hich is WHY I COULD NEVER Understand why Ryan was even NOMINATED For speakership, to replace bohner..
Lauren put her finger on the truth. We lost the house in 2018 because Ryan and RINO scum like him refused to support the Presidents Programs on which he was elected. President Trump gave Americans hope. Ryan and his ilk convinced many that there was none and, as long as he and his ilk remain and are more concerned with collegiality and their Washington society connections that will be the case.
“If the conservative cause depends on the populist appeal of one personality, or on second-rate imitations, then we’re not going anywhere.”
I would love to hear Paul Ryan define “the conservative cause”. He doesn’t seem to have an issue with Cho Bai Din’s corrupt personality or his second rate plagiarism.
Very few conservatives are actually fond of Donald trump’s personality. However, he is a GREAT administrator who understands America First policy.
We have seen what abandoning those policies can do in 100 days. Continuing them under an administration run by an imitator of president Trump would be infinitely more beneficial to America.
The Reagan Library should not be a forum for grandstanding and propagandizing traitors.
Paul Ryan is a colorless, free of probity, integrity, gravity and moral authority NWO organization man, nothing more.
His spiritless and spineless rendering of Republicanism has powerfully contributed to the success of the retrograde Marxists, who are running roughshod over our institutions.
Ryan is eminently worthy of being completely dismissed and disregarded.
The friend of my friend is also my friend.
The enemy of my friend is my enemy also.
Trump is my friend and Paul Ryan is his enemy so Paul Ryan is my enemy too. He asked for it and he now has earned my anamousity… Yet another donkey in an elephant costume.
The division happened long before President Trump took office. Obama plainly spoke and wrote about his intention to turn the United States of America into a socialist state. People kept “interpreting” what he stated, and “explained” away Obama’s very own words in order to cover for him. No reasonable person would expect that this could possibly be Obama’s clear intent, so many accepted the ruse and lived to regret it.
Ryan still believes in the now defunct operations of compromise and working across the aisle. What he doesn’t realize is that the American people will no longer tolerate the systematic destruction of America and our way of life for the sake of appearing unified with socialists. There is a bottomless chasm between liberty and socialism; quit trying to pretend it doesn’t exist, Paul Ryan. You’re not fooling anyone.
PITY more whites, felt voting FOR Obama, was proof we we’re not racist, OVERRODE THEIR common sense, in realizing HE WAS AN OPEN socialist..
Shut up, Paul Ryan, and just go away! We are in a civil war for our country and our lives and you are part of the reason for it. You had your chance but you chose the wrong side. You are the enemy! You chose the Communists.