On the Laura Ingraham Show today, Speaker Paul Ryan was asked about Donald Trump’s popularity and position as the Republican party frontrunner. Ryan embraced Trump, noting that Trump is giving voice to the real and sincere anxiety that is out there. Particularly noteworthy, Ryan said that the American people like Donald Trump because he’s “going to call a spade a spade” and, of course!, Ryan will work with whoever the Republican nominee is.
Unfortunately, the feelings aren’t mutual. On the same day as Paul Ryan’s glowing assessment of Donald Trump and his popularity, extremist Donald Trump made clear that even Ryan is too extreme for him.
And, true to form, Trump told it like it is:
Donald Trump: Tapping of Paul Ryan for veep was ‘end’ of 2012 campaign
The Washington Times
By David Sherfinski
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump on Wednesday said the selection of 2012 GOP vice presidential nominee Paul D. Ryan was the “end” of the campaign for Republicans because of the perceptions surrounding Mr. Ryan and entitlement spending.
“Every single other candidate is going to cut the hell out of your Social Security,” Mr. Trump said in response to a question about the program at an event in South Carolina.
“Remember the wheelchair being pushed over the cliff when you had Ryan chosen as your vice president? That was the end of that campaign, by the way, when they chose Ryan,” Mr. Trump said. “And I like him — he’s a nice person — but that was the end of [the] campaign.”
“I said you got to be kidding,” Mr. Trump said. “[Because] he represented cutting entitlements, etcetera, etcetera. The only one that’s not going to cut is me.”
Mr. Ryan, who was elected speaker of the House last year, was chairman of the House Budget Committee when 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney chose him as his running mate.