Former House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., raised the ire of Republican allies of Donald Trump when he said the former president was unfit for office, with one ally calling him a "piece of garbage."
Ryan, the 2012 GOP vice presidential candidate who declined to run for reelection to Congress in 2018, said in a recent interview, according to The Hill, that the events of Jan. 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol are part of the reasons for why he's not going to vote for Trump in November. Ryan also said he's not voting for President Joe Biden, either.
"I think it really just is character at the end of the day," said Ryan, who sits on the board of Fox Corp., parent company of Fox News. "And the fact that if you're willing to put yourself above the Constitution — an oath you swear when you take office, federal office, whether it's president or a member of Congress, you swear an oath to the Constitution — and if you're willing to suborn it to yourself, I think that makes you unfit for office."
That prompted a reprimand Tuesday from Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus and a Trump supporter.
"Paul Ryan, you're a piece of garbage. You're a piece of garbage," Nehls said according to a transcript of his comments that aired Wednesday on "CNN This Morning." "And we should kick you out of the party. For Paul Ryan to say he's not voting for Donald Trump, that's the problem with some of our Republicans. It's guys like that.
"Don't go spouting your mouth off and saying you're a conservative. You spit in the face of the leader of our party, Donald Trump. I mean, grow up a little bit."
Newsmax reached out to Ryan for comment. When asked last month to respond to Trump labeling him as a RINO, or a Republican in name only, and a loser in a Truth Social post, The Hill reported Ryan said RINO now refers to someone who does not pledge loyalty to Trump.
"Fealty to Trump is what RINO is, meaning that if you don't pledge fealty to this man, then you are a RINO," Ryan said. "It used to mean a liberal Republican versus a conservative.
"I'm a conservative Republican. He's a populist. He's not a conservative. I want to see someone who has fidelity to principles. I would prefer a party that is based on principles, not personality or populism."
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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