Breitbart leaks audio of Paul Ryan slamming Trump, makes case for a new speaker

Some conservatives might want to drive a wedge between Trump and Ryan.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

President Trump is not going to like the sound of this. On Monday, Breitbart News published leaked audio of House Speaker Paul Ryan vowing in October to never defend Trump. "I am not going to defend Donald Trump — not now, not in the future," Ryan said on the tape, which was recorded shortly after Trump's lewd Access Hollywood comments were leaked.

"His comments are indefensible," Ryan added. "They're not in keeping with our principles, so I'm not going to try to defend them."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

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
Explore More
Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.