House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) said Tuesday that he has already voted for Donald Trump. But he only mentioned the Republican nominee’s name once in his interview on Fox News, instead repeatedly emphasizing his efforts to keep Republicans’ majority in the House.
“Fox and Friends” co-host Steve Doocy told Ryan, “You’ve had some ups and downs with Donald Trump. We’re one week out, where do you stand on voting for Donald Trump and endorsing Donald Trump?”
“I stand where I’ve stood all fall and all summer. In fact, I already voted here in Janesville for our nominee last week in early voting. We need to support our entire Republican ticket,” Paul replied before launching into criticism of Hillary Clinton.
“The point I keep trying to make to younger voters who did not live through the 1990s, this is what life with the Clintons looks like. It’s always a scandal, one after another. Then there’s an investigation,” Ryan continued. “They live beyond the rules and they live to work the system to help themselves, to help Clinton Incorporated. And so they can win, and she could come in with a Democratic Congress, the worst of all possible things, if Republicans do not turn out and do not vote.”
Doocy sought to clarify that Ryan was encouraging people to vote for Trump.
“I am supporting our entire Republican ticket,” the speaker said in response. “I have been all along. What my—which has not changed at all. My focus personally right now is saving our House majority.”
When asked if he will be campaigning with Trump on Tuesday in Wisconsin, Ryan said he had just learned of the GOP nominee’s schedule.
“No. I I just heard about it about 10 minutes ago, actually. I didn’t know that,” he said. “I’m on my way right now to Indiana with one of our members running there. I’m just crisscrossing the country right now fighting for congressional Republicans. Which is my primary responsibility.”
Co-host Ainsley Earhardt noted that Ryan wouldn’t campaigned with Trump following the release of a 2005 tape that caught Trump talking on a hot mic about grabbing and kissing women without her consent. She asked the House speaker if that had changed.
“I haven’t changed anything. I’m just focusing on my primary responsibility which is saving our House majority,” Ryan responded. “I’ve already got a long schedule that has been long in place, fighting for House Republicans and also Senate Republicans because that’s what the speaker of the House does.”
Ryan only mentioned Trump’s name when asked whether House Republicans’ plan to replace Obamacare is in line with the Republican nominee’s proposals.
“They are virtually one and the same. We’ve talked with Donald all year long on these things,” Ryan said. “A unified Republican government can fix our big country’s problems. A Hillary Clinton government will not fix our problems and you’ll just have scandal and baggage coming into the White House.”
