Republican backer says Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney both want to run in 2020

Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney while campaigning in 2012.
(Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The reason why House Speaker Paul Ryan is offering only lukewarm support for presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is because he wants him to lose so he can run in 2020, a longtime GOP financial backer told The Daily Caller.

He's not alone, either. The unidentified donor said 2012 Republican nominee and outspoken Trump critic Mitt Romney also wants to run in four years, when he will be 73 years old. The financial backer attended a Trump fundraiser Thursday held by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), and said most donors are ready to support Trump. Another source that attended the event told The Daily Caller that Christie said Republican leaders need to back Trump, but if they don't, they should either say nothing or publicly acknowledge they'll back presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.