Sarah Palin Wants Paul Ryan ‘Cantored’ After His Refusal To Endorse Donald Trump

Sarah Palin is quite angry with Paul Ryan because of the Speaker of the House’s refusal to formally endorse Donald Trump for President. During an interview with CNN on Sunday morning, Palin suggested she now wants to see Ryan “Cantored” if he continues to withhold support from Donald Trump. The former vice presidential candidate and governor of Alaska’s comments are the latest twists in what is becoming quite the soap opera. Ryan’s refusal to throw his weight behind the presumptive Republican nominee has also angered Trump, who has thrown a few barbs of his own at the Speaker.

Speaking to Jake Tapper on State of the Union, Sarah Palin said she was surprised Ryan still hadn’t been willing to endorse Donald Trump. She also told him she would work to support the primary opponent for Ryan in Wisconsin as retribution for his stance. Palin said she thought Ryan was going to be “Cantored,” as in Eric Cantor, because of his stance against Donald Trump. Eric Cantor was the majority leader in 2014 when he lost his Virginia primary to little-known Dave Brat. Not only did Cantor lose that race, but he was beaten quite soundly, as Brat collected 55 percent of the vote compared to Cantor’s 44 percent.

Palin had publicly supported Cantor’s opponent, mainly because the long-time Virginia congressman had supported comprehensive immigration reform that Palin felt would give amnesty to immigrants in the country illegally. This time around, not kissing Donald Trump’s ring is enough to drive the Wasilla, Alaska, native to campaign against a candidate.

“His political career is over but for a miracle because he has so disrespected the will of the people, and as the leader of the GOP, the convention, certainly he is to remain neutral, and for him to already come out and say who he will not support is not a wise decision of his,” Palin told CNN while talking about Ryan’s lack of support for Donald Trump.

Paul Ryan’s announcement that he will not yet support Donald Trump shows just how much of a divide there still is in the Republican party. This is despite the fact that Trump has proclaimed himself someone who can unite the party under the flag of his nomination. Ryan is far from the only powerful Republican who has yet to throw his weight behind Trump. The Speaker is one of the most visible to go against Trump even as other party elders claim they won’t be attending the GOP convention in Cleveland this summer.

Paul Ryan hasn’t taken on Donald Trump as publicly as other Republicans like Lindsey Graham, Mitt Romney, and John McCain have done. Ryan’s opposition to Trump has raised eyebrows because should the GOP retain control of both the House and Senate after the 2016 elections, he would be one of the two Republican leaders expected to usher in Donald Trump’s agenda. Sarah Palin believes Ryan’s refusal to support Donald Trump has more to do with the Speaker’s own presidential nomination. Palin told Tapper she believes Ryan wants to run for the White House in 2020, and Trump winning this year would put a damper on those plans.

Paul Ryan’s primary opponent, according to Fortune Magazine, is a man who, like Dave Brat before him, isn’t considered to have much of a shot right now. Paul Nehlen has endorsed Donald Trump, and it is because of this move, along with Ryan going against Trump, that Palin is throwing her support behind Nehlen. Paul Ryan will square off against Donald Trump’s biggest supporter in Wisconsin this August. Perhaps an indication that higher-ups in the Republican party are taking threats like Palin’s seriously, Ryan and others recently stated they were willing to sit down with Donald Trump and attempt to hash out some sort of peace.

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