WILL’s Research Fellow Collin Roth on Speaker of the House and fellow Wisconsinite, Paul Ryan:
“Paul Ryan is stuck. He is passionate about his brand of optimistic, policy-driven conservatism. And yet, he knows that the only vehicle that could see those proposals put into law is a president Donald Trump. Many conservatives wish this weren’t the case. I suspect Paul Ryan wishes this weren’t the case. But it is an imperfect reality. Ryan’s problem will be navigating the difficult question: at what cost? He said Trump’s comments on a federal judge were “textbook racism” and yet, said he still supports the presumptive nominee. This will soon become untenable. And it invites uncomfortable questions: Is Paul Ryan willing to support a racist if that racist supports his policy agenda? If “textbook racism” isn’t too far, is there anything Donald Trump can’t do or say that would cause Ryan to drop his support? I won’t pretend that Ryan has it easy and that there aren’t shades of gray given his stature and position in the Republican Party. That said, his support of Trump will come at a personal and professional price. He shouldn’t pay it at any cost. I’d rate his performance thus far a 3.”