President Trump today broadened his attack on Paul Ryan, saying conservatives like the former speaker “almost killed the Republican Party” because they were “weak, ineffective & stupid.”
“House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is a far superior leader than was Lame Duck Speaker Paul Ryan. Tougher, smarter and a far better fundraiser, Kevin is already closing in on 44 Million Dollars. Paul’s final year numbers were, according to Breitbart, ‘abysmal.'” Trump wrote.
“People like….Paul Ryan almost killed the Republican Party. Weak, ineffective & stupid are not exactly the qualities that Republicans, or the CITIZENS of our Country, were looking for. Right now our spirit is at an all time high, far better than the Radical Left Dems. You’ll see next year!” Trump continued.
Trump’s repeated attacks against Ryan this week came after the publication of book excerpts on Wednesday detailing the former speaker’s negative views of Trump during the 2016 campaign and his first two years as president.
Trump late Thursday first attacked Ryan by tweet as “leaving his Party in the lurch both as a fundraiser & leader” ahead of a visit to Ryan’s home state of Wisconsin. Addressing reporters hours later, Trump called the former speaker a “baby.”
“We’ve gotten so numbed by it all,” Ryan said of Trump’s behavior in the book “American Carnage” by POLITICO Magazine’s Tim Alberta. “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.”
Ryan has not responded to Trump’s recent broadsides.
McCarthy, an early defender of then-candidate Trump as the businessman ran against the GOP establishment, took over as House minority leader in 2018 following Ryan’s retirement from politics after Democrats flipped the House.
McCarthy served as majority leader under Ryan, where he was widely predicted to be Ryan’s successor.
Trump has frequently referred to the Californian, who was first elected to the House in 2006, as “My Kevin.”
McCarthy defended Trump’s policies as recently as Thursday, blaming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for the deportation raids set to begin on Sunday in a press conference.
Trump followed up his latest attack on Ryan by touting his current approval rating among Republicans.
“94% Approval Rating in the Republican Party, an all time high. Ronald Reagan was 87%. Thank you!” Trump wrote in a follow up tweet.
Trump is polling at 90 percent with Republicans according to the latest Gallup poll. According to the latest POLITICO/Morning Consult poll, Trump has an 85 percent approval rating among potential GOP primary voters.