Paul Ryan: Trump 'didn't know anything about government' and 'I wanted to scold him all the time'
Former House Speaker Paul Ryan in a new book says President Trump knows almost nothing about government and had to constantly be prevented from making bad decisions.
Ryan spoke to Politico's Tim Alberta for his new book American Carnage, excerpts of which were published by The Washington Post on Thursday.
"I told myself I gotta have a relationship with this guy to help him get his mind right,” Ryan says in the book, per the Post. “Because, I'm telling you, he didn't know anything about government ... I wanted to scold him all the time."
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.
Ryan reportedly claims that he and others around Trump "really helped to stop him from making bad decisions. All the time." Now, he argues that Trump is "making some of these knee-jerk reactions" that he was prevented from making before." Ryan further criticizes Trump's behavior by saying "don't call a woman a 'horse face'" and "don't cheat on your wife" while bemoaning the fact that we've "gotten so numbed by it all." He's referring to the fact that in October 2018, Trump on Twitter called Stormy Daniels, the porn star who says she had an affair with him before he became president, "horseface." Ryan at the time said there is "no place for that kind of language."
Alberta's book also describes a day in 2017 when Trump famously tweeted a claim that the Obama administration wiretapped him, with Ryan reportedly bursting out laughing after reading the tweet and with then Chief of Staff Reince Priebus frantically calling Ryan to ask, "What the hell is he talking about?" Ryan, who earlier this year said Trump will not win re-election if the race is about "his personality" retired in January, and according to Alberta's description, he did so because he couldn't imagine continuing to work with Trump and saw leaving Congress as his "escape hatch." Read more at The Washington Post.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
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
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
'Horror stories of women having to carry nonviable fetuses'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Haiti interim council, prime minister sworn in
Speed Read Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigns amid surging gang violence
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - April 26, 2024
Cartoons Friday's cartoons - teleprompter troubles, presidential immunity, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Ukraine cheers House approval of military aid
Speed Read Following a lengthy struggle, the House has approved $95 billion in aid for Ukraine and Israel
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Poland, Germany nab alleged anti-Ukraine spies
Speed Read A man was arrested over a supposed Russian plot to kill Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Israel hits Iran with retaliatory airstrike
Speed Read The attack comes after Iran's drone and missile barrage last weekend
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Peter Murrell: Sturgeon's husband charged over SNP 'embezzlement' claims
Speed Read SNP expresses 'shock' as former chief executive rearrested in long-running investigation into claims of mishandled campaign funds
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Mark Menzies: Tories investigate MP after 'bad people' cash claims
Speed Read Fylde MP will sit as an independent while party looks into allegations he misused campaign funds on medical expenses and blackmail pay-out
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Why Johnson won't just pass Ukraine aid
Speed Read The House Speaker could have sent $60 billion in military aid to Ukraine — but it would have split his caucus
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Sudan on brink of collapse after a year of war
Speed Read 18 million people face famine as the country continues its bloody downward spiral
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump's first criminal trial starts with jury picks
Speed Read The former president faces charges related to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published