Paul Ryan is the brains of the GOP. With each passing primary victory, Donald Trump is becoming its voice, if not its soul. Their contrast inevitabily will produce a clash. And although the House speaker said Thursday he’d come to terms with the presidential frontrunner, he also reaffirmed his commitment to the conservative vision that helped make him the most powerful Republican in Washington.
“I’m going to speak my mind. I’m going to defend conservatism as I understand it. I’m going to defend our ideas as the Republican party,” Ryan told CNBC’s John Harwood. “But we’re going to have to work with whoever our nominee is.”
The Wisconsin representative ascended the party’s ranks largely for his positions on fiscal policy and health care. His annual “Path to Prosperity” plan he released during his time on the House Budget Committee aimed to prevent looming explosions in entitlement programs, helping place federal spending on a sustainable track. His showdown with the president during a 2010 healthcare summit earned him plaudits from the Right.
Now, here comes Trump, who has said he doesn’t want to touch Medicare or Social Security. He has made animal balloons out of his elastic views on health care. You could see how this would result in disagreement between the two men.
Here’s part of the transcript from Harwood’s interview:
The night of Super Tuesday, Trump fired a warning across Ryan’s bow.
“I’m going to get along great with Congress, OK? Paul Ryan, I don’t know him well, but I’m sure I’m going to get along great with him, and if I don’t? He’s gonna have to pay a big price, OK?” he said.
Let the bidding start at $19 trillion.
