During an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” House Speaker Paul Ryan insisted that he did not put “party over country” by endorsing Donald Trump.
Ryan said that he had “certain responsibilities” as Speaker, which prompted him to endorse the party’s presidential nominee.
“Imagine the Speaker of the House not supporting the duly elected nominee of our party, therefore creating a chasm in our party to split us in half,” he told NBC host Chuck Todd.
Ryan added that he will speak out against Trump’s views if he needs to.
“If something is done and said that I don’t agree with, that I think puts a bad label on conservatism, then I’m going to speak out on it as I have, as I will continue to do, and I hope I don’t have to keep doing,” Ryan said.
Todd then told Ryan, “You just made a case, though, of party over country.”
“No, I didn’t,” Ryan responded, arguing that he doesn’t agree with Hillary Clinton on anything, but that he has common ground with Trump.
Watch the interview via NBC News:
