President-elect Donald Trump took his "thank you" victory tour to West Allis, Wisconsin, on Tuesday night, and Wisconsin's Republican political leadership was there with him. Standing in front of decorated Christmas trees, Trump called Gov. Scott Walker, one of Trump's rivals for the GOP nomination, a "tough" competitor and "great governor," then pointed to House Speaker Paul Ryan, with whom Trump has had a rocky relationship.
"Speaker Paul Ryan — I've really come to — oh no! I've come to appreciate him," Trump said, as his crowd started booing. "He has been terrific, and you know, honestly, he's like a fine wine: Every day goes by, I get to appreciate his genius more and more. Now if he ever goes against me, I'm not going to say that, okay? He's a great guy, and we have some amazing things in store," saying that Ryan is going to lead the way on taxes and ObamaCare. Trump is a teetotaler, so it wasn't clear if his "fine wine" metaphor was actually a compliment, especially in beer-loving Milwaukee.
"Merry Christmas, God bless you, thank you, Wisconsin," Trump concluded, as the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" began over the loudspeaker and Walker and Ryan came out to shake Trump's hand. You can watch some highlights of the speech below. Peter Weber
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.
-
Trump extends power with D.C. police takeoverFeature Donald Trump deploys 500 law enforcement officers and 800 National Guard members to fight crime in Washington, D.C.
-
A rat infestation is spelling trouble for the almond industryThe Explainer The infestation has affected at least 100,000 acres in California
-
The 5 best singers turned actors of all timethe week recommends It's not often that someone is born with both of these rare skill sets
-
DC protests as Trump deployment ramps upSpeed Read Trump's 'crusade against crime' is targeting immigrants and the homeless
-
Ukraine, European leaders to meet Trump after Putin talksSpeed Read Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy today following talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week
-
Border agents crash Newsom redistricting kickoffSpeed Read Armed federal Border Patrol agents amassed outside the venue where the California governor and other Democratic leaders were gathered
-
Man charged for hoagie attack as DC fights takeoverSpeed Read The Trump administration filed felony charges against a man who threw a Subway sandwich at a federal agent
-
Trump BLS nominee floats ending key jobs reportSpeed Read On Fox News, E.J. Antoni suggested scrapping the closely watched monthly jobs report
-
Trump picks conservative BLS critic to lead BLSspeed read He has nominated the Heritage Foundation's E.J. Antoni to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics
-
Trump takes over DC police, deploys National GuardSpeed Read The president blames the takeover on rising crime, though official figures contradict this concern
-
Trump sends FBI to patrol DC, despite falling crimeSpeed Read Washington, D.C., 'has become one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the world,' Trump said
