Paul Ryan, the Republican former Home speaker-turned-Fox Corp. board member, has summed up Donald Trump as a “populist, authoritarian narcissist.”
The previous president is “not a conservative,” Ryan declared throughout a latest digital interview hosted by CEO advisory agency Teneo that the Republican Accountability group unearthed and shared on X (née Twitter) on Wednesday.
Trump’s tendencies “are mainly the place narcissism takes him, which is no matter makes him well-liked, makes him really feel good at any given second,” Ryan stated. “He doesn’t suppose in classical liberal-conservative phrases. He thinks in an authoritarian approach. And he’s been in a position to get a giant chunk of the Republican base to observe him as a result of he’s the tradition warrior.”
Former Home Speaker Paul Ryan praises Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney for standing as much as Trump:
“Trump’s not a conservative. He is an authoritarian, a narcissist…Adam and Liz stepped out of the movement and referred to as it out and paid for it with their careers.” pic.twitter.com/ILe1h31RX3
— Republican Accountability (@AccountableGOP) December 13, 2023
Ryan talked about how former Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Sick.) had “paid for” their criticism of Trump with their congressional careers.
And he claimed extra Republicans in Congress now wished they’d taken a stand towards Trump when he was impeached for a second time for inciting the lethal U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
The Home voted 232-197 in favor of impeaching Trump. The Senate voted 57 to 43 to convict Trump, 10 in need of the 67 votes required for it to occur.
They thought “Trump was lifeless,” stated Ryan. “They thought after Jan. 6, he wasn’t going to have a comeback, he was lifeless, so that they figured, ‘I’m not going to take this warmth, I’m not going to vote towards this impeachment, as a result of he’s gone anyway.’ However what’s occurred is he’s been resurrected.”
There are “lots of people who already remorse not getting him out of the way in which once they may have,” he added. “So I feel historical past will probably be sort to these individuals who noticed what was taking place and referred to as it out, although it was on the expense of their private well-being.”
Ryan condemned Trump earlier than the 2016 election earlier than working alongside him as Home speaker to move main tax cuts. He left Congress in 2019 to turn into a director of Fox Corp., a place that has drawn him criticism for his obvious reluctance to name out the divisive rhetoric peddled on Fox Information.
Final yr, Ryan stated “anyone not named Trump” could be a greater choice for the Republican Occasion in subsequent yr’s presidential election.
“We all know we’re so more likely to lose with Trump due to the truth that he isn’t well-liked with suburban voters that we’re gonna need to win,” Ryan advised Fox Enterprise’ Stuart Varney. “We misplaced the Home, the Senate, the White Home within the area of two years. I don’t need to repeat that. I need to win.”
“The one motive he stays the place he’s is as a result of all people’s afraid of him,” Ryan added in one other interview. “They’re afraid of him going after them, hurting their very own ambition. However as quickly as you type of get the herd mentality going, it’s unstoppable.”
In September, Ryan stated February 2024 could mark a turning level for the celebration if Trump’s GOP presidential rivals consolidate to deprive him of the nomination.
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