Ryan to House lawmakers: I 'won't defend Trump'
The speaker did not formally revoke his endorsement, however.
By JAKE SHERMAN and JOHN BRESNAHAN 10/10/16 11:38 AM EDT
politico.com
Speaker Paul Ryan told House Republicans on a conference call Monday morning he is done defending Donald Trump and will focus on keeping an increasingly imperiled House majority, according to sources on the call.
Ryan added that if Hillary Clinton wins the White House, a Republican Congress is needed to be a check on her.
The speaker, however, did not formally revoke his endorsement of Trump.
Ryan told members, “You all need to do what’s best for you in your district," said a source on the call, giving his members the political cover to disavow Trump if they feel they need to do so.
It's the biggest and most dramatic split between the highest-ranking Republican lawmaker on Capitol Hill and the GOP presidential nominee. Ryan has pushed back repeatedly on Trump's most outrageous comments or positions, but up until now, he has refused to openly break with the nominee.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) told GOP lawmakers on the call to take a deep breath and focus on their own race.
The message comes after GOP congressional leaders, and rank-and-file members, have grown increasingly tired of Trump's rhetoric, uneven public appearances and lewd language.
"The speaker is going to spend the next month focused entirely on protecting our congressional majorities," said AshLee Strong, Ryan's spokeswoman.
Ryan will be by campaigning in 17 states and 42 cities this month, with additional events planned, said GOP sources.
Authors:
Jake Sherman sherman@politico.com @JakeSherman
John Bresnahan jbresnahan@politico.com
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