House Freedom Caucus chairman Mark Meadows on Sunday sought to lower tensions within the Republican Party, saying that conservatives are not trying to force out House Speaker Paul Ryan and that they are working together on shared goals.
“There is no conversations going on right now with regards to replacing the Speaker,” the North Carolina Republican said on ABC’s This Week.
Meadows was speaking in the aftermath of the GOP’s failed attempt to replace Obamacare, which President Trump and Ryan gave up on Friday after failing to gain the support of the conservative Freedom Caucus, along with many moderates.
Meadows helped force out former Speaker John Boehner in 2015, filing a motion to depose him in the summer.
Although no Republicans have suggested that Ryan should lose his speakership, Meadows was forced to entertain the question Sunday because, on Saturday night, Fox News host Jeanine Pirro called for Ryan to step down hours after Trump plugged her show on Twitter.
Meadows, however, said that the caucus is now working together on tax reform. And White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus said Sunday morning that Trump wants Ryan to stay.
