Former House Speaker Paul Ryan (R) said he would support “anyone but” Donald Trump in the 2024 election, adding that he would not attend next year’s Republican National Convention if the former president is chosen as the GOP nominee.
In an interview with WISN-TV broadcast Sunday, Ryan, whose time as speaker spanned the first two years of Trump’s presidency, said he didn’t think the former president would secure the Republican nomination.
“The reason I don’t think he’s going to be the nominee is because we know we’re going to lose to him,” Ryan said, blaming Trump for repeated GOP defeats over the past few years.
During the November midterm elections, Republicans failed to win control of the Senate and only narrowly secured a majority in the House after an underwhelming performance.
“It’s a lesson we don’t need to repeat and I think even Trump supporters know we’re better off with other people,” Ryan said.
Ryan said he’s not sure he’ll endorse a candidate in the primaries.
“Right now, I’m all for the non-Trump candidate,” Ryan said. “Anybody but Trump right now, for me.”
Republicans have chosen Milwaukee to host the Republican National Convention in July 2024. It’s also where the first GOP primary debate will be held in August.
But Ryan said attendance at the convention will depend “on who is nominated,” even if it is a native of Wisconsin.
“I’ll come if someone not named Trump,” Ryan added.
This comes as the National Republican Committee takes steps to ensure unity within the party. RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said she expects all candidates participating in the primary debate to pledge their support for the final candidate.
“I’m kind of a no-brainer, right?” McDaniel told CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday. “If you’re going on the stage of a Republican National Committee debate asking voters to support you, you have to say, ‘I’m going to support the voters and who they voted for as the nominee.'”
The Republican field in 2024 looks crowded. Earlier this month, former US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley became the first Republican to challenge Trump in the race. Trump announced his campaign after the midterm elections in November.
Other possible attendees include Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Ryan was asked how he would run the House of Representatives today if he were in Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s shoes.
McCarthy was officially elected speaker in January after a total of 15 rounds of voting. He only won after agreeing to major concessions to some extreme members of the party.
“One thing I’m not going to be tomorrow is my successor quarterback,” Ryan said.
Ryan acknowledged that McCarthy has a slim majority and tough issues ahead, including a possible standoff over the debt ceiling.
“Once that’s done, I think what we’re going to do, is what we need to do, is start preparing an agenda to take to the states — use the majority to develop policies that solve the problems of today,” Ryan said.