Paul Ryan spoke for 12 minutes in his RNC speech. He mentioned Donald Trump exactly once.


House Speaker Paul Ryan has a complicated relationship with his party's presidential nominee, Donald Trump, and that was clear in his speech at Tuesday's Republican National Convention. Mere hours after the GOP officially nominated Trump, Ryan took aim at Hillary Clinton, President Obama, and the Democratic Party, but mentioned Trump just once, saying that "only with Donald Trump and Mike Pence do we have a chance at a better way." The bulk of his speech was about his own vision for the Republican Party, and his call to action was electing "a conservative governing majority."
"What do you say that we unify this party?" Ryan said, to his first big applause of the night. "Whatever we lack going into this campaign, we should not lack for motivation.... It is all on the line," he said. "Let's show America our best and nothing else."
In the rest of his speech, Ryan contrasted the Republicans as a party that champions freedom and the Democrats as the party of big government, lofty words, and "a record of discarded promises." "Progressives deliver everything but progress," he said. "Yet we know better than most that Republicans can't win just on the failures of Democrats." Republicans, on the other hand, are "the great, enduring alternative party," and it wins the war of ideas against Democrats. It was a good speech, just not one that has much to do with the Republican Party's 2016 candidate.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Trump’s budget bill will increase the deficit. Does it matter?
Today's Big Question Analysts worry a 'tipping point' is coming
-
Film reviews: The Phoenician Scheme, Bring Her Back, and Jane Austen Wrecked My Life
Feature A despised mogul seeks a fresh triumph, orphaned siblings land with a nightmare foster mother, and a Jane fan finds herself in a love triangle
-
Music reviews: Tune-Yards and PinkPantheress
Feature "Better Dreaming" and "Fancy That"
-
Elon Musk slams Trump's 'pork-filled' signature bill
speed read 'Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong,' Musk posted on X
-
Depleted FEMA struggling as hurricane season begins
speed read FEMA has lost a third of its workforce amid DOGE cuts enforced by President Donald Trump
-
White House tackles fake citations in MAHA report
speed read A federal government public health report spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was rife with false citations
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings
Speed Read A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs renders the future of US trade policy uncertain
-
Elon Musk departs Trump administration
speed read The former DOGE head says he is ending his government work to spend more time on his companies
-
Trump taps ex-personal lawyer for appeals court
speed read The president has nominated Emil Bove, his former criminal defense lawyer, to be a federal judge
-
US trade court nullifies Trump's biggest tariffs
speed read The US Court of International Trade says Trump exceeded his authority in imposing global tariffs