Former Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) called former President Donald Trump a “proven loser” during an interview on CNN Thursday.
“He’s fading fast,” Ryan said of Trump. “He’s a proven loser. He cost us the House in ‘18, he cost us the White House in ‘20, he cost us the Senate again and again, and I think we all know that and I think we’re moving past Trump. I really think that’s the case. I can’t imagine him getting the nomination, frankly.”
Trump is the only major candidate to announce his bid for the presidency in 2024.
Ryan retired from Congress in 2018 and has been a critic of the Trump wing of the Republican Party ever since.
He told CNN on Thursday that the protracted fight for Speaker among Republicans last week was due to policy differences and wasn’t personal.
“Most of that wasn’t personal, most of that was around fiscal responsibility,” Ryan said. “Most of that was about a concern about spending, inflation, and debt. That’s great. I think you need to persuade the country as to the solutions and the problem, and I don’t think brinksmanship solves those things, but what’s behind that is a good thing which is Republicans finally reacquiring their moorings on the party of fiscal responsibility and limited government.”
McCarthy was elected Speaker after 4 days and 15 ballots. It was the first time in a century that the Speaker was not elected on the first ballot.
[Image: Evan Vucci/AP]
