Following multiple reports that Republican party infighting may soon cost Paul Ryan (R-WI) his speakership, Ryan reportedly wrangled up his closest colleagues on Tuesday for a closed door meeting to vent, according to The New York Times and the Washington Post.
At the meeting, Ryan reportedly lectured his colleagues about sticking together and behaving “as though they are in the majority,” per the Times. He also expressed his irritation with the embarrassing dismantling of the farm bill last week, which conservatives sank amid a broader debate over immigration policy, and said he thinks the “political winds” were finally blowing in Republicans’ direction, according to the Post.
Ryan was reportedly so worked up that he even “used the word ‘crap’ once,” Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV) told reporters.
“For Paul Ryan, ‘crap’ is pretty blue language,” he said.
Despite Ryan’s apparent frustration, the meeting ended well— with a standing ovation that could be heard in the hallway, according to the Post.
While the White House has been tight lipped about its opinion on who Ryan’s successor should be ever since Ryan announced his retirement in April, one senior White House official told the Post that the White House is unsure if Ryan should remain speaker through the end of his term.
