“President Trump has been calling the efforts against him a “witch hunt,” and Ryan seems to support the notion that, at the very least, some people are out to get the president.”
here is no denying the turmoil in Washington, D.C. Whether you believe that President Trump’s campaign was working with the Russians or that the on-going crisis is manufactured, it’s undeniable that the Trump administration is under siege. Yet thus far, the Republican party has remained quite steadfast and committed to the president, even in the face of substantial allegations. And one-time nemesis Paul Ryan is emerging as one of President Trump’s more reliable defenders.
The House Speaker has defended the Trump administration on a number of occasions as of late. President Trump has been calling the efforts against him a “witch hunt,” and Ryan seems to support the notion that, at the very least, some people are out to get the president. Ryan recently claimed, “It is obvious—there are some people out there who want to harm the president.”
Ryan has also urged his fellow House Republicans to resist any temptation to jump to conclusions. Ryan has stated that evidence and information must be gathered before anyone rushes to judgment. Ryan has also said that he looks forward to hearing from former FBI director James Comey, and by the sounds of it, he has some tough questions for him. For example, if Comey believed months ago that there were connections between the Trump campaign and Russia, why didn’t he act then?
When Trump first won the nomination, the most immediate question for many politicos was whether or not Paul Ryan and the Republicans of the House would work with the president. Early on in the Republican primary, Ryan was a staunch critic of Trump. After Trump secured the GOP’s nomination, Ryan maintained considerable distance from the soon-to-be president and proved to be a tepid ally at best on the campaign trail.
Over the past few months, however, Ryan and Trump have been increasingly coordinated in their efforts to push through legislation. Trump and Ryan have both proven willing to take on tall tasks and major reforms, such as repealing and replacing Obamacare. While the two may have initially been at odds, they now seem to share a mutual desire to push through a similar brand of change in DC.
Whether or not their relationship will survive the most recent upheaval, however, remains to be seen. Trump’s decision to fire Comey has come with tremendous backlash. As was the case with Nixon and Clinton, the bulk of the backlash isn’t coming from the initial accusations (collusion with Russia) but instead from alleged cover-up efforts.
Will Ryan remain steadfast at the president’s side, or could he end up throwing the president under the bus? Given Ryan’s past lack of love for Trump, his commitment may ultimately prove to be questionable. At least for now, however, Ryan appears to be among the president’s more reliable allies.
