Speaker Paul Ryan’s hometown newspaper, the Janesville Gazette, has published an op-ed by the congressman in which he states he will support Donald Trump for president.
Rep. Paul Ryan made that statement in a column submitted Thursday for publication in The Gazette, his hometown newspaper.
The statement at least partially answers a question on many minds: whether the leader of the House Republicans and chairman of the upcoming Republican National Convention would support Trump’s candidacy.
Ryan has criticized Trump during the primary campaign. The two met May 12, but afterward Ryan said it was too soon for an endorsement.
A Ryan campaign spokesman said the column is an endorsement of Trump’s candidacy.
Ryan wrote in the opinion piece, which is being released on this website this afternoon, that he and Trump have talked at length.
Ryan’s column also touts the “confident America” policy agenda he has been developing since becoming speaker of the House last fall.
“Through these conversations, I feel confident he (Trump) would help us turn the ideas in this agenda into laws to help improve people’s lives. That’s why I’ll be voting for him this fall,” Ryan wrote.
Ryan goes on to say that he and Trump do not agree on everything and that when he sees the need, Ryan will continue to speak his mind.
“But the reality is, on the issues that make up our agenda, we have more common ground than disagreement,” Ryan wrote.
Ryan also mentions the likely Democratic nominee for president, Hilary Clinton, by name, saying she is unlikely to support the GOP agenda.
“A Clinton White House would mean four more years of liberal cronyism and a government more out for itself than the people it serves. Quite simply, she represents all that our agenda aims to fix,” Ryan wrote.
Did he really have another option? Not if he wanted to remain speaker of the House and stay in the Republican Party.
Elections are about a lot of things — but ultimately, they are about making a choice. And when your realistic choices are Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, choosing becomes a no-brainer for Republicans.
That’s why most Republicans have now fallen in line behind Trump’s candidacy — admittedly, with varying degrees of enthusiasm. That’s why Ted Cruz, one of the last major holdouts in supporting Trump, will probably come around and endorse him. That’s why even some bitter ender #NeverTrumpers will swallow their reservations — and their pride — and vote for the nominee.
Ryan’s endorsement means that almost the entire GOP caucus on the Hill is on board in support of Trump. Meanwhile, the Democrats are in meltdown mode with Bernie Sanders supporters not willing to go quietly into that good night. There is going to be chaos at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia next month as thousands of protesters will descend on the venue to demonstrate their displeasure at Hillary Clinton. These anarchists, communists, radical greens, and Black Lives Matter members are going to make life very uncomfortable for Clinton and the Democratic Party.
The violent Hispanic separatists, racists, and union members who will protest at the GOP convention will also try to disrupt the proceedings. But inside the hall, the party will be nearly united behind Trump.
Will the Democrats be able to say the same thing about Philadelphia?
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