President Donald Trump responded to quotations attributed to former House Speaker Paul Ryan early Friday morning in a series of inflammatory tweets lambasting the retired congressman.
Citing Ryan’s failure to win the vice presidency when he was then-presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s running mate, Trump said Ryan’s congressional “record of achievement was atrocious (except during my first two years as President).”
Paul Ryan, the failed V.P. candidate & former Speaker of the House, whose record of achievement was atrocious (except during my first two years as President), ultimately became a long running lame duck failure, leaving his Party in the lurch both as a fundraiser & leader……
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 12, 2019
Trump also claimed that he predicted Romney’s defeat when he chose to run for president with Ryan, while lambasting the former speaker because “he promised me the Wall, & failed (happening anyway!) … (RELATED: Former Speaker Paul Ryan’s Retirement Was An ‘Escape Hatch’ From Trump)
….When Mitt chose Paul I told people that’s the end of that Presidential run. He quit Congress because he didn’t know how to Win. They gave me standing O’s in the Great State of Wisconsin, & booed him off the stage. He promised me the Wall, & failed (happening anyway!)……
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 12, 2019
Despite finding kinder words when Ryan announced his retirement, Trump now characterizes Ryan as too weak to engage Democratic political operatives and no loss to the GOP.
“Couldn’t get him out of Congress fast enough!” said Trump
….He had the Majority & blew it away with his poor leadership and bad timing. Never knew how to go after the Dems like they go after us. Couldn’t get him out of Congress fast enough!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 12, 2019
Trump’s apparent reassessment of Ryan follows the publication of comments attributed to Ryan in the upcoming book “American Carnage. A pre-release copy was obtained by The Washington Post.
Ryan reportedly claims that he jumped ship to “escape” the daily burden of dealing with Trump, whom he implies was unfaithful to his wife and knew virtually nothing about legislative matters.
“I told myself I gotta have a relationship with this guy to help him get his mind right,” Ryan is quoted as saying, according to the Post’s reporting. “Because, I’m telling you, he didn’t know anything about government … I wanted to scold him all the time.” (RELATED: Paul Ryan Wants ‘To Be Clear’ About Statement Suggesting Democrats Could Beat Trump In 2020)
Ryan reportedly gets more personal with his objections to Trump, saying his life doesn’t reflect good values.
“We’ve gotten so numbed by it all,” Ryan reportedly says. “Not in government, but where we live our lives, we have a responsibility to try and rebuild. Don’t call a woman a ‘horse face.’ Don’t cheat on your wife. Don’t cheat on anything. Be a good person. Set a good example.”
Trump once called Ryan “a truly good man” who had “a legacy of achievement that nobody can question.”
That tone began to change earlier this year when Trump said Ryan “screwed him” on border wall funding when the Republicans could have achieved it.