Is Paul Ryan trying to get booted from GOP convention chair?
Is Paul Ryan trying to get kicked out of his gig as co-chair of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July?聽
Maybe he is. That could explain why on Monday the House speaker said he鈥檇 step down from his highly visible convention leadership spot if presumptive nominee Donald Trump asks.
鈥淗e鈥檚 the nominee. I鈥檒l do whatever he wants with respect to the convention,鈥� Speaker Ryan the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
Ryan鈥檚 not a Trump backer, after all 鈥� at least, not yet. In an extraordinary disavowal of an all-but-certain party nominee, Ryan last week said he鈥檚 鈥渘ot ready鈥� to support Mr. Trump in the general election.聽
After all, the two men are far apart on important items of policy. Ryan wants to curb big government entitlement programs such as Social Security; Trump says benefits need to be protected. Ryan is a free trade advocate; Trump says free trade agreements are ripping America off. Ryan is hawkish on foreign policy; Trump is noninterventionist.
That鈥檚 put Ryan in an awkward position for the convention. As the co-chair he鈥檒l be highly visible during proceedings. Every time he appears somewhere a commentator will take that as a reminder to talk about the split in the top of the GOP, with many past presidents and nominees skipping the Cleveland action rather than appear near Trump.
Quitting might be awkward too, making it appear Ryan is afraid to face up to Trump after his disavowal.
But if Trump wants his own person to handle the gavel, well, what鈥檚 wrong with that? Ryan could just step aside rather than implicitly compete with Trump on-stage for the title of 鈥淢r. Republican.鈥� Perhaps the speaker is indicating he鈥檇 like to be replaced.
鈥淭he Wisconsin Dells are lovely in July. Who would want to miss that?鈥� Washington Post national political correspondent Karen Tumulty on Monday.
Of course, it鈥檚 also possible that Ryan鈥檚 offer to do what Trump wants is what it seems to be on the surface 鈥� an olive branch.
If that鈥檚 the case, Trump might be wise to meet Ryan halfway. He needs the speaker on his side, probably more than Ryan needs him.
If Trump is to have any chance of beating likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, he will need all the Republican votes he can get. Parties generally rally around their nominee during a general election campaign; if that doesn鈥檛 happen, they lose. Trump says he doesn鈥檛 need party unity, since he鈥檒l expand the GOP base. There鈥檚 that is actually happening.
Plus, if Trump doesn鈥檛 smooth things over with Ryan and wins the Oval Office anyway, he鈥檇 face a semi-hostile speaker of the House. That鈥檚 not a great way to get your legislative agenda enacted. And despite Trump鈥檚 rhetoric, he鈥檇 need lots of congressional help to fulfill his campaign promises. Tax bills don鈥檛 enact themselves.
So far Trump has refrained from a personalized response to Ryan鈥檚 nonsupport. The two men are meeting in Washington on Thursday to air their differences. We鈥檒l likely know then whether Ryan may indeed get some extra family time in the month of July.
