House Speaker Paul Ryan continues to hold out hope that Donald Trump will see the light and work with the Republican party. Trump and the GOP have had a tumultuous relationship the last few months, with Ryan seeming to be stuck in the middle. While he has endorsed Trump for president for the betterment of the Republican party, he told NPR Thursday he hopes Trump turns down the rhetoric a bit. Ryan also believes Trump will make better decisions in office in comparison to Hillary Clinton:
“I just think improving temperament and inclusive rhetoric, and an agenda that invites people into our party, is something that I think anybody going from a primary to a general election needs. He says he wants good trade agreements. Well, so do I. I don’t want bad trade agreements, I want good trade agreements.”
The issue of free trade agreements was one of the key points Ryan discussed during the interview. He said the American public may feel dubious about this issue, but believes it is something that can be worked on when Trump enters the White House:
“I think we’re in tough economic times and high anxiety, and I think this is an issue that is always very difficult to sell when we have slow economic growth and flat wages. … We have more work to do, but it’s really hard to talk about the benefits of opening up trade with other countries when we have a tough economy. And that’s the situation we find ourselves in today.”
Ryan seems to really want the public to embrace Trump as the Republican nominee, even though they may disagree on an issue here and there. As the Speaker of the House, Ryan has a complicated job of keeping the House together, ensuring Republican legislation is passed and making sure his party stays afloat — all while making sure Trump stands by the GOP. Ryan stands in an unenviable position, but some would argue that the party waited far too long to try and reel in Trump.
(Via NPR)