Paul Ryan on Donald Trump and the state of the Republican Party
WASHINGTON (CBS News) - House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, has strongly disavowed comments made by the presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump less than a week after endorsing him. In a Face the Nation interview set to air this upcoming Sunday, host John Dickerson asked the Speaker how his endorsement is "sitting," after Donald Trump's allegation that a judge presiding over a lawsuit involving Trump University is biased due to the his Mexican heritage. Ryan responded with a laugh saying, "It could be better."
"I do think that those comments are racist comments" Ryan said. "That's why I've disavowed them completely. What bothers me about the comments is it doesn't reflect who we are or what we think or how we think as Republicans."
Speaker Ryan added that "the notion that someone's ethnicity or race effects the way they do their job is completely the opposite of what we believe." Ryan said.
"I don't think that those are appropriate comments by any stretch of the mind" the Speaker stated and added, "Hopefully a lesson will be learned here and we can move forward with a better campaign."
Speaking after a press conference the Speaker held unveiling his new Poverty agenda Dickerson asked Ryan how he would be able to make the case for his legislative priorities if he is constantly having to "put out fires" started by Trump. Ryan admitted that while he is still learning as he goes, he has a job to unify the Republican Party and "call out" members of the party that say things contrary to their beliefs.
"When anyone in our party, least especially our nominee, run contrary to our beliefs, to our values, to our principles, we have an obligation to call them out, we have an obligation to not support those things because they don't define who we are."
Walking through Anacostia, one of Washington, D.C.'s poorest neighborhoods, Face the Nation host John Dickerson and Speaker Ryan discussed the tone of the Republican Party, a tone that Ryan hopes will improve as both parties move towards the general election.
"As Republicans, as conservatives we want to run inclusive campaigns, we want to run an inspiring campaign." Ryan stated but added, "In the last few days that is not the kind of campaign we've been seeing."
Ryan however remained optimistic, using this as a learning experience and hoping to move forward "with a better tone and a campaign that everyone can be proud of."
"Let the left play identity politics." The Speaker said. "We as conservative should reject every kind of identity politics. We should not be running campaigns that divide people."
Despite Trump's remarks, Speaker Ryan stated that he will continue to support Donald Trump because he believes that his poverty agenda, "Has a far, far, far greater chance of being made into law to improve people's lives than it would be under President Clinton."
Tune into Face the Nation this Sunday for more of our interview with House Speaker Paul Ryan.