Donald Trump tears into Paul Ryan in first cable news interview since Friday
When Donald Trump tweeted Tuesday that "the shackles have been taken off of me," what he was really referring to was his recent breakup with House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.). During an interview Tuesday night on The O'Reilly Factor, the GOP presidential nominee made it very clear that he thinks he's "better off" without Ryan's support. "The shackles are some of the establishment people that are weak and ineffective people within the Republican Party, senators, and others, and Paul Ryan, led to a certain extent by Paul Ryan, being nasty to the nominee," Trump said. This was Trump's first cable news interview since the Friday release of a now infamous tape in which Trump bragged about groping women, and since Ryan announced Monday he would no longer defend Trump.
Trump noted that while he's gained "millions and millions of supporters" and "set records in the primaries," Ryan has advocated for "open borders and amnesty" and "very, very bad budgets." "Frankly, the only one that Obama negotiates well with is Paul Ryan with the budgets because that's the only negotiation he can win," Trump said.
Even if Ryan were to change his mind, Trump said he isn't sure he wants his support at this point. "I wouldn't want to be in a foxhole with a lot of these people, that I can tell you, including Ryan," Trump said.
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Watch Trump's takedown of Ryan below. Becca Stanek
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