Donald Trump said privately that Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) should pay a price for his disloyalty to the GOP presidential nominee, two people close to Trump told The New York Times.
{mosads}On Tuesday, Trump said in an interview with Reuters people are “very angry” with the leadership of the Republican Party.
“Because this is an election that we will win, 100 percent, if we had support from the top,” he said. “I think we’re going to win it anyway.”
Trump went on the attack against Ryan after the Speaker earlier this month said he wold no longer campaign with or defend Trump after fallout from a 2005 tape of Trump talking lewdly about women. Ryan said on a conference call at the time that members should do whatever they need to win reelection.
A spokeswoman for Ryan, AshLee Strong, told the Times that Ryan is “fighting to ensure we hold a strong majority next Congress and that he is always working to earn the respect and support of his colleagues.”
In March, Trump issued a similar warning after Ryan repudiated him for not strongly disavowing white supremacist David Duke’s support.
“I’m going to get along great with Congress. Paul Ryan, I don’t know him well, but I’m sure I’m going to get along great with him,” Trump said at the time. “And if I don’t, he’s going to have to pay a big price.”
And in an interview earlier this month, Trump said he no longer wanted Ryan’s support but said other Republicans will come around if he is elected.
“They’ll be there. I would think that Ryan maybe wouldn’t be there, maybe he’ll be in a different position,” Trump said.
“The fact is, I think we should get support, and we don’t get the support from guys like Paul Ryan,” he continued.
“He had a conference call yesterday with congressmen, with hundreds of them, and they practically rioted against him on the phone. One person stuck up for him. So I’m just tired of nonsupport, and I don’t really want his support.”