House Speaker Paul Ryan may not be ready to support Donald Trump just yet, but he indicated on Monday that he would step down as the GOP convention chair if that’s what the presumptive nominee wanted. A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributor tweeted as much on Monday.
.@SpeakerRyan on whether he'd step down as convention chair if Trump asks: I'll do whatever he asks me to do @MSpicuzzaMJS @journalsentinel
— Christian Schneider (@Schneider_CM) May 9, 2016
The speaker also said he does not want a third party candidate to emerge.
Since telling CNN’s Jake Tapper he’s not yet on board the Trump train, Ryan has faced backlash from a number of the businessman’s supporters. Former vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, for instance, said on CNN this weekend that Ryan’s career was effectively “over.”
"His political career is over but for a miracle because he has so disrespected the will of the people, and as the leader of the GOP, the convention, certainly he is to remain neutral, and for him to already come out and say who he will not support is not a wise decision of his," Palin continued.
She vowed to help end his speakership, noting that it would be a repeat of the conservative effort to remove former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor from power last year. Palin took the first step by endorsing Ryan’s primary challenger, Paul Nehlen.
At least Palin and Trump would be pleased to know Ryan has agreed to respect Trump's wishes and get out of his way at the convention.