WASHINGTON — House Speaker Paul Ryan insisted Thursday that there is no tension between him and President Trump.
The Daily Caller asked Ryan about routine reports that there is behind-the-scenes bickering between him and the president.
“There really isn’t,” Ryan replied. “We talk about this fairly often — the president and I do. I would say that there is no intrigue, palace intrigue divisions between the principals. I can’t speak for low-level staffers. I can’t speak for outside groups, but the principals — the chief of staff, the vice president, the budget director, the HHS secretary, the president himself — we’re all on the same page.”
Ryan went on to say, “We talk constantly. Our teams are working together. So, they’re really is no schism ever and of course you’re going to have this chattering class stuff. That’s just going to happen in this day and age.”
“It’s something that A) isn’t true and B) isn’t intimidating or daunting to us in any way shape what so ever. I’m excited about the fact that we elected a president who likes closing deals. We got a president who thinks bold, thinks big, wants to act and wants to get us to the finishing line,” he said.
Ryan was asked if he felt comfortable with Trump’s “unorthodox” style of communicating on Twitter and if doing so is hurting Republican efforts to pass their healthcare bill.
“He is making it easier and better for us to pass healthcare. The president — his involvement and his engagement — his listening and his negotiating skills are bringing people together so that we can pass a bill,” Ryan said.
He explained, “Sure it’s unorthodox. Did you see him in Detroit? Did you see him in Tennessee? The president has a way of connecting with individuals in this country. No offense, but he goes around the media and connects with people specifically and individually. This is a power we haven’t seen since Ronald Reagan and so what this president is showing is that he knows how to connect directly with people. That helps us bridge gaps in Congress.”
Trump told Fox News Channel host Tucker Carlson Wednesday night that he communicates the way he does through social media, because it is his own “form of media” and a detour around traditional media.