WaPo Edit Board: Ryan ‘Capitulated To Ugliness’ With Trump Endorsement

House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis., and the Republican leadership, meet with reporters following a GOP strategy session on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2015. Ryan sports a beard man, showing off plenty ... House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis., and the Republican leadership, meet with reporters following a GOP strategy session on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2015. Ryan sports a beard man, showing off plenty of facial hair in what his office called his "hunting beard" that he began growing Saturday at "deer camp." (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) MORE LESS
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The Washington Post editorial board strongly criticized House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) on Thursday for endorsing Donald Trump after arguing for months that the presumptive GOP nominee needed to rein in his divisive rhetoric and foster party unity.

“On Thursday Mr. Ryan capitulated to ugliness,” the board wrote in a blistering op-ed. “It was a sad day for the speaker, for his party and for all Americans who hoped that some Republican leaders would have the fortitude to put principle over partisanship, job security or the forlorn fantasy that Mr. Trump will advance a traditional GOP agenda.”

Ryan was one of the last holdouts in the Republican leadership to come around to Trump, saying in early May that he was “just not ready” to throw his support behind him. Many in the party, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), offered their support for the blustery real estate tycoon after he emerged as the nominee following Indiana’s primary.

Though Trump has done little to modulate his tone or demonstrate the commitment to “conservative principles” that Ryan was waiting for, the speaker published an op-ed in his hometown newspaper on Thursday saying a series of “conversations” with Trump convinced him he deserves his endorsement.

The WaPo edit board called the idea that Trump would support Ryan’s conservative agenda “fanciful.”

“Judging by his wild swings of position over the years, Mr. Trump does not believe in much of anything,” they wrote. “The convictions that he does hold — against free trade and U.S. leadership abroad, for dividing the nation by religion and ethnicity — are antithetical to the principles Mr. Ryan has said guide him. Having secured the nomination without Mr. Ryan’s help, a President Trump certainly would not feel bound by any assurances that Mr. Ryan believes he has heard from the candidate.”

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Notable Replies

  1. WaPo was far too kind to Ryan.

    They should have been truthful and called him the spineless lying hack he’s always been.

  2. By July 17th, the eve of the convention, EVERY Republican or conservative of any stature or public notoriety will have come out with a full-throated endorsement of Trump. Every one. If in some Looney-Tune world David Duke had won the GOP nod that statement would still hold true.

  3. Avatar for pshah pshah says:

    “On Thursday Mr. Ryan capitulated to ugliness,” the board wrote in a blistering op-ed. “It was a sad day for the speaker, for his party and for all Americans who hoped that some Republican leaders would have the fortitude to put principle over partisanship, job security or the forlorn fantasy that Mr. Trump will advance a traditional GOP agenda.”

    Congratulations to the WaPo. This is exactly right.

    I, for one, will remember everyone who endorses Donald Trump…whether they want to call it that or not…because they’ve permanently lost my respect.

    And when they try to lecture the rest of us on morality, we’ll just have to hit back with two words - Donald Trump - and if they have a conscience, they’ll shut up.

  4. As always with the GOP
    Party Before country.
    The prime directive.

  5. By July 17th, the eve of the convention, EVERY Republican or conservative of any stature or public notoriety will have come out with a full-throated endorsement of Trump.

    It will be interesting to see how many GOPs are “too busy” to attend the convention. Translation: Ashamed to show their faces.

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