Paul Ryan, the former Republican Speaker of the House, has some pretty strong feelings about the next Republican National Convention (RNC).
Even though it is going to be held in his home state of Wisconsin, Ryan said he would not attend if the GOP’s 2024 nomination is former President Donald Trump.
Ryan did a Friday interview with Milwaukee’s ABC News affiliate, and he was clear that he would not support Trump under any circumstances. He said he would only attend the convention if “somebody not named Trump” emerged as the top Republican. He also predicted that Republicans would lose the general election if Trump was the party’s choice.
The interviewer asked Ryan where he would be when the RNC met in Milwaukee in 2024.
“It depends on who the nominee is,” Ryan answered. “I’ll be here if it’s somebody not named Trump,” he said, adding that he is “not interested in participating in that.”
“Even in Wisconsin?” the reporter asked.
The Republican National Convention will take place July 15-18 next year. Trump won the state of Wisconsin in 2016 with 47.2% of the vote compared to Hillary Clinton’s 46.5%. He narrowly lost the state in 2020 to Joe Biden. The Republican nominees will hold their first debate in Wisconsin in August, it will be clear what a battleground state it is in 2024.
Ryan isn’t mincing words, he called himself a “never-again Trumper” in November, right after the former president announced his third bid for the White House.
Ryan said that Republicans “lost with him in ‘18, in ‘20, and ‘22,” warning that “he will cost us another election.”
Ryan’s prediction doesn’t hold up to a Harvard CAPS-Harris poll released on February 17. It shows Trump garnering the support of 46% of respondents, beating out President Biden’s 41% with 13% unsure in a head-to-head race.
That poll also shows the former president winning in a hypothetical eight-way Republican primary with 37%, followed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ 19%.
Former U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan from Wisconsin says he won't show up at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee if former President Donald Trump is the nominee
Much more of our conversation Sunday on UPFRONT..@WISN12News @wispolitics pic.twitter.com/wp9ysKkwsC
— Matt Smith (@mattsmith_news) February 24, 2023
