Paul Ryan won't criticize Trump unless he feels 'conservatism is being disfigured'

On Thursday, only half of the 2012 Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan ticket lashed out at Donald Trump, with the House speaker refusing to echo the harsh words of his former running mate.

While Romney was calling Trump "a phony" and "a fraud" making "worthless" promises, Ryan was telling reporters during his weekly news conference that the only way he'll criticize Trump is if he sees "ideas and comments that mislead the people as to who we are as Republicans" and feels "conservatism is being disfigured." Paul said in his role as House speaker and chairman of the nomination convention, it's not really his place to speak out against Trump, but to "help put substance in this campaign" and "add a keel and a rudder to this ship of the Republican Party and give it direction."

If Trump is elected, Ryan said he's not worried about playing nice — despite the fact that Trump said on Tuesday Ryan would "pay a big price" if they couldn't work together (a comment that Ryan said made him "laugh out loud"). "Sometimes reality is stranger than fiction these days," Ryan said. "I'm a good-natured guy, so I get along with everybody."

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