“On the very first day he hit the campaign trail, Paul Ryan has swiftly proven the depths to which he is willing to sink in order to put a Republican in the White House. To suggest that Donald Trump not paying his fair share of taxes, while tens of millions of Americans paid theirs, isn’t ‘that harmful,’ is as offensive as it is out of touch with everyday Americans.
“If this is what Ryan’s vaunted October campaign swing is going to be like, vulnerable House Republicans might want to rethink having Trump’s highest-ranking Republican endorser join them on the campaign trail,” said Christie Stephenson of the DCCC.
Paul Ryan in Michigan: Trump tax story not a big deal
Detroit Free Press
Paul Egan
Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan, who was in Michigan on Monday in support of two congressional candidates, said he doesn’t think a weekend New York Times article showing a $916-million business loss in 1995 for Donald Trump will do much harm to his presidential candidacy.
The newspaper reported, based on partial Trump income tax returns it received from an anonymous source, that the loss could have resulted in Trump legally being able to avoid federal income taxes for 18 years.
“I don’t think it’s that harmful,” said Ryan, a Wisconsin congressman who joined U.S. Rep. Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, to meet with journalists at Oakland County International Airport in Waterford in advance of a fund-raising event.
“I think people who don’t like him are going to continue disliking him,” Ryan said of Trump. The speaker also said he didn’t think the article hurts Trump’s reputation as a great businessman.
Ryan said using net operating losses for tax purposes are common, particularly in real estate ventures, and “the numbers are big because he’s a multi-billionaire.”
Ryan did describe the 2016 campaign as an “extra challenge,” and said “this isn’t just Donald Trump,” but the way social media has changed popular culture and political campaigns.
Earlier this year, Ryan gave Trump a tepid endorsement, and Trump initially balked at endorsing Ryan in his congressional contest.
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