Pence declines to say if Ryan should be reelected Speaker

by Rebecca Savransky - 11/03/16 9:12 AM ET

Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence declined several times to say whether he thought Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) should be reelected as House Speaker.

{mosads}“My respect for Paul Ryan is boundless. I’m not a member of the House Republican conference anymore. I wouldn’t presume upon what the members of the conference choose,” Pence said during an interview with National Review published Thursday.

A senior adviser said after the interview that Pence would vote to reelect Ryan as Speaker if he were still a congressman.

Pence and Ryan served together in the House for 12 years and became close friends.

When Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump initially refused to back Ryan during a primary challenge earlier this year, Pence made clear his support for the Speaker.

“I believe we need Paul Ryan in leadership in the Congress of the United States,” the Indiana governor said in an interview with Fox News at the time, breaking with his running mate.

After the release of a 2005 tape in which Trump was heard making vulgar comments about women, Ryan said he no longer would campaign for or defend Trump.

Since then, Trump has gone on the attack against Ryan both in tweets and during interviews.

In an interview last month, Pence told MSNBC that Ryan is “focusing on reelecting his team” but noted the Speaker is casting his vote for Trump.

“He’s made that vey clear, and we’re grateful to have his support,” Pence said.

Tags Donald Trump Mike Pence Paul Ryan