Paul Ryan For President? Ryan Fends Off Rumors That He Wants To Run For President, Still Doesn’t Want Donald Trump In 2016

The 2016 Presidential Election has been one of the most divisive yet, with members of each party attacking their fellow Democrats and Republicans. Speaker of The House Paul Ryan (R, Wisconsin) has made it very clear that he’s not running for president in 2016, but that hasn’t stopped him from voicing his opinion. The Speaker has publicly come out against Donald Trump’s 2016 bid for president despite Trump’s popularity amongst Republican delegates and superdelegates in the primaries this year.

It’s possible Ryan and other GOP hard-liners oppose Trump because of differing ideas. CNBC noticed a pattern amongst those who dislike Trump’s ideas, namely that they stand for free markets, lower taxes, and less government. Trump’s platform in 2016 hasn’t necessarily been opposed to these ideas, but there’s also no indication he supports them, either. Some Republicans are also concerned The Donald’s lack of a political background could hurt him if he’s the GOP presidential nominee.

Trump does agree with Ryan on certain aspects, though. Trump’s views on privacy, like Speaker Ryan’s, are that the government should not be allowed to access its citizens’ phone and internet records. Additionally, Trump’s tax plan would cut taxation at every income level, another thing most conservatives support. It’s not clear where Trump stands on free trade laws and policies.

Ryan also abstained from voting on a bill that would repeal certain parts of the Affordable Care Act (more commonly called Obamacare), whereas Trump has vowed to repeal Obamacare completely if he’s elected President in 2016. Some in the public have also touted Trump’s lack of political experience as a benefit since they see him as less likely to get mixed up in political corruption and bureaucracy.

According to TheGuardian.com,Ryan told CNN that Trump’s presidential platform was neither inclusive nor conservative. Trump’s presidential campaign has been the talk of the town in 2016, with The Don dissing everyone from Muslims and Hispanics to members of his own Party.

Trump has promised to be strict on immigration, claiming he will build a huge wall between the US and Mexico if elected as President. He has also stated he would not allow Muslim immigrants into the country. He has been called everything from a racist and misogynist to a demagogue, and it’s clear Trump doesn’t have the full support of a unified Republican Party for his presidential campaign.

However, Trump’s discourse has also won him loyal delegates in the primaries. Perhaps due to his predictions that the primaries would be “over” should he win Indiana, Trump now runs unopposed on his side of the aisle. Several GOP nominees who were also seeking the Presidential nomination in 2016, including Chris Christie and Dr. Ben Carson, have dropped from the race and now stand by Trump’s side.

Paul Ryan and his team also met with Donald Trump and his people this past Thursday. TheWeek.com mentioned that Trump and Ryan discussed where they felt the Republican Party was at in becoming a unified front. Even though they seem to have resolved their political differences, Ryan still refuses to endorse Donald’s bid for President (agree to disagree?).

It’s true that Trump is not your average Republican, nor your average candidate for president. His claims are more grandiose than others within his party, and he hails from a background in business and entertainment rather than politics. Despite this lack of political CV, Trump’s momentum has seemed unstoppable from the moment he announced he would be running.

[Image Via Allison Shelley, Getty Images]