House Speaker Paul Ryan revealed Wednesday he plans to retire at the end of the year, leaving President Trump in need of a reliable partner on Capitol Hill who can steer his agenda in the coming months, and potentially through a Democratic-controlled House.
Ryan’s announcement came hours before he and Trump were scheduled to have dinner at the White House, where they would be joined by two House Republican colleagues who have already begun angling for the top leadership position: Majority Whip Steve Scalise and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.
“Either of them would be a fine replacement,” former White House press secretary Sean Spicer said ahead of the Wednesday night dinner. “The president has a great relationship with McCarthy, with Scalise and even if someone like [House Freedom Caucus Chairman] Mark Meadows stepped into a leadership role, he would get along with him.”
A source close to Ryan said the president and vice president were among the close circle of people Ryan informed of his retirement plans ahead of time, while several administration officials and lawmakers were left in the dark until Wednesday’s announcement.
Trump has already developed close personal friendships with both McCarthy and Scalise, potentially making it easier for either to slide into the speakership with the full backing and cooperation of the White House – something Ryan has frequently struggled to obtain.
The Wisconsin Republican has had a tricky and — at times — tortured relationship with the president, disagreeing with Trump’s public comments on everything from the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., to the appearance of MSNBC host Mika Brzezinski. And he has rarely been afraid to pummel the White House for urging policy changes that are far outside party orthodoxy.
“I disagree with this action and fear its unintended consequences,” Ryan said in a statement last month after Trump issued a pair of executive orders to hike tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.
The House speaker had also urged Trump last fall not to unilaterally end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, claiming Congress should have a chance to “fix” it before undocumented youth are placed at risk.
“These are kids who know no other country, who were brought here by their parents and don’t know another home … I think we want to give people peace of mind,” Ryan had told reporters.
Around the same time Trump decided to ax the DACA program last fall, he and Ryan were working to develop a strong relationship that could get Republicans through their push to reform the tax code and cut corporate rates. They were also grappling with a never-ending stream of retirement announcements from GOP lawmakers facing political burnout amid the gridlock and chaos in Trump’s Washington.
Many Republicans, including Ryan, were also frustrated by their inability to repeal Obamacare, a promise so many had made to constituents back home the last time they sought their votes. And Trump’s comments on the situation rarely helped, particularly his claim that the lower chamber’s healthcare bill lacked “heart” days after calling the failed legislation “a great plan.”
But Ryan’s fraught relationship with Trump long preceded legislative failures and the president’s controversial remarks on a handful of issues. The speaker regularly tried to distance himself from his party’s presidential nominee during the 2016 election, and eventually disavowed then-candidate Trump when the “Access Hollywood” tape dropped.
“I am not going to defend Donald Trump,” Ryan declared in October 2016, one month before the brash billionaire rode to victory and he committed himself to enacting the more palatable elements of Trump’s agenda.
Fourteen months later, the two were standing side-by-side on the South Lawn of the White House, Ryan praising Trump’s “exquisite presidential leadership” as the president gushed over the just-passed Republican tax bill.
Ryan’s retirement will come on the heels of a midterm election that could usher in a Democratic congressional majority, a development that would potentially leave Trump at risk of impeachment proceedings. The 48-year-old conservative is expected to spend his final months putting his fundraising talents to use as he campaigns for vulnerable Republicans across the country.
“I think we have achieved a heck of a lot. Did big things,” Ryan said at a press conference Wednesday, never mentioning Trump once by name.
Al Weaver contributed to this report.
