Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio.) emphasized in an interview published Sunday that he’s a regular American and not “some soft yoga guy.”
“I think once you meet me, you realize I’m not necessarily some soft yoga guy,” Ryan told Politico.
“I’ve been on the picket line. I’ve been in the union halls. I’ll drink a Miller Lite with you,” he said.
{mosads}Ryan tied that image of himself as an average American into his reasoning for being active in the Democratic Party and considering a 2020 presidential run.
“The only reason I entertain the conversation [about 2020] is that I’m tired of losing,” Ryan told Politico.
“Maybe the country needs a scrapper, a guy who’s not going to take any prisoners — sportsmanlike, but play to win,” he said.
“We collectively should be helping the people who have gotten screwed for the last 30 years, and not apologize for it.”
Ryan, who challenged House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in 2016, told CNN earlier this month that the Democrats “need new leadership.”
Ryan told the news network he was unsure if he was the one to provide that leadership, but was adamant that a change was necessary.