Politics

Ryan: Majority Is Greater Than Expected Thanks To Trump

REUTERS/Ben Brewer

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Juliegrace Brufke Capitol Hill Reporter
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JANESVILLE, Wisc. — Republicans managed to hold the majorities in both chambers of Congress in addition to taking back the White House, an accomplishment House Speaker Paul Ryan attributed to president-elect Donald Trump during his post-election press conference Wednesday.

Before Election Day, Ryan said his focus would remain on retaining as many Republican seats as possible following the leak of a controversial 2005 video of Trump making lewd comments about women. Ryan spent October visiting contested districts in 21 states and raised $30 million for down-ballot races. 

Despite pollsters projecting Republicans would lose a significant number of seats in the lower chamber, Democrats were only able to unseat a handful of members.

“Our House majority is greater than expected. We won more seats than ever expected and that is thanks to Donald Trump,” Ryan told reporters. “Donald Trump provided the kind of coattails that got a lot of people over the finish line so tat we can maintain our strong House and Senate majorities.”

Ryan said there is work to be done to unify the country, adding that he is dedicated to working with Trump to accomplish the party’s common goals.

“There is no doubt our democracy can be messy, we remain a sharply divided country. Now, as we do every four years, we have to work to heal the divisions of a long campaign,” he said. “I think president-elect Donald Trump set the perfect tone last night for doing just this. I know President Obama and Secretary Clinton are committed to bringing the country together. This needs to be a time of redemption.”

While the relationship between the speaker and Trump has been rocky at times, he remained confident they can “offer a very specific and coherent agenda.”
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