A new report published Thursday indicates that House Speaker Paul Ryan may be retiring in the near future.
According to Politico, “Ryan has made it known to some of his closest confidants that this will be his final term as speaker.”
The report also indicates that Majority Whip Steve Scalise and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy have begun to plan to replace Ryan as speaker.
Ryan has faced a number of challenges as House speaker.
His March push to repeal Obamacare faltered, leaving his reputation damaged. And he has no shortage of challenges ahead, including preventing a government shutdown and finding a permanent solution for illegal immigrants protected by DACA before it expires next spring. (RELATED: Paul Ryan Ribs Trump, Schumer, And Media At Al Smith Dinner [VIDEO])
Publicly, Ryan has largely gotten along with President Trump, but has occasionally criticized him as well. (RELATED: Paul Ryan: I Have No Disagreements With Trump)
After white nationalists and Antifa clashed in Charlottesville in August, Paul Ryan said that Trump “messed up” his response to the violence. After President Trump condemned violence on “both sides,” Ryan said, “there are no sides. There is no other argument. We will not tolerate this hateful ideology in our society.”