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.
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.
Watch Trump's takedown of Ryan below. Becca Stanek
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
-
Today's political cartoons - April 19, 2025
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - free trade, judicial pushback, and more
By The Week US
-
5 educational cartoons about the Harvard pushback
Cartoons Artists take on academic freedom, institutional resistance, and more
By The Week US
-
One-pan black chickpeas with baharat and orange recipe
The Week Recommends This one-pan dish offers bold flavours, low effort and minimum clean up
By The Week UK
-
Judge threatens Trump team with criminal contempt
Speed Read James Boasberg attempts to hold the White House accountable for disregarding court orders over El Salvador deportation flights
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Biden slams Trump's Social Security cuts
Speed Read In his first major public address since leaving office, Biden criticized the Trump administration's 'damage' and 'destruction'
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
El Salvador refuses to return US deportee
Speed Read President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador said he would not send back the unlawfully deported Kilmar Ábrego García
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump says electronics tariff break won't last
Speed Read The tariff exemptions on smartphones, laptops and other electronic devices are temporary, the administration says
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Man charged in arson attack on Pennsylvania's Shapiro
Speed Read Governor Josh Shapiro and his family were sleeping when someone set fire to his Harrisburg mansion
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
White House pushes for oversight of Columbia University
Speed Read The Trump administration is considering placing the school under a consent decree
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Supreme Court backs wrongly deported migrant
Speed Read The Trump administration must 'facilitate' the return of wrongfully deported migrant Kilmar Ábrego García from El Salvador, Supreme Court says
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Two judges bar war-powers deportations
Speed Read The Trump administration was blocked from using the Alien Enemies Act to deport more alleged Venezuelan gang members
By Peter Weber, The Week US