Jul 13, 2019 - Politics & Policy

Trump: People like Paul Ryan almost killed the Republican Party

Rebecca Falconer

President Donald J. Trump (R) shakes hands with Speaker of the House U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) in the U.S. House of Representatives January 30, 2018 in Washington, DC. — Then-House Speaker Paul Ryan and President Trump. Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

President Trump stepped up his Twitter attacks on former House Speaker Paul Ryan Saturday, accusing conservatives like him of almost killing the Republican Party.

"House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is a far superior leader than was Lame Duck Speaker Paul Ryan. Tougher, smarter and a far better fundraiser, Kevin is already closing in on 44 Million Dollars. Paul’s final year numbers were, according to Breitbart, 'abysmal.'

"People like Paul Ryan almost killed the Republican Party. Weak, ineffective & stupid are not exactly the qualities that Republicans, or the CITIZENS of our Country, were looking for. Right now our spirit is at an all time high, far better than the Radical Left Dems. You’ll see next year!"

The big picture: Trump called Ryan "a long running lame duck failure" in a series of tweets Thursday, after it emerged that the former House speaker spoke about the president during a series of interviews for Tim Alberta's upcoming book "American Carnage," which details the Republican Party's reaction to the rise of Trump.

Ryan says in the book that he viewed his retirement from Congress as an "escape hatch" from working with the president.

Go deeper: Trump v. Paul Ryan: The final round

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Trump: People like Paul Ryan almost killed the Republican Party

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