Nehlen: Ryan ‘Mercenary Champion’ For Working Against Trump, ‘Should Be Reporting In-Kind Contributions To Hillary’

On Tuesday’s “CNN Tonight with Don Lemon,” Paul Nehlen, the primary challenger of House Speaker Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI), said Ryan “owns” Trade Promotion Authority and “should be reporting in-kind contributions to Hillary Clinton’s campaign” as the “mercenary champion for working against Donald Trump every opportunity he gets.”

Nehlen said Ryan has “never worked as hard for Wisconsin or American workers as he has for his corporate donors.” And “I’ve been focused on trade deals, bad trade deals that Paul Ryan’s pushing and immigration policies, enforcing existing immigration law. … I’m knocking doors and talking to residents here about creating jobs. I’ve run Fortune 500 businesses all over the globe. I’ve brought manufacturing back from Mexico. I brought manufacturing back from Canada. I’ve closed businesses and brought those jobs back to the United States. Paul Ryan keeps ducking me on having a debate here. He’s on a break right now, he’s been in the district, and he’s ducking me on a debate. Paul Ryan wants to talk about anything other than his policies. We need to have a debate here in Wisconsin in front of Wisconsinites on this trade deal. It’s a terrible trade deal. I can quote it chapter and verse. Paul Ryan whipped the votes for fast track Trade Promotion Authority and that is going to kill the living wage, that is going to kill the family wage, that’s going to kill the middle class. Paul Ryan owns that.”

Nehlen added, “[W]hen did Speaker Ryan ever attack Mr. Obama or Hillary Clinton on any of her policies the way he’s attacking Donald Trump right now? He should be trying to unify this party. That is his role. He is the top elected Republican in the country right now. Shouldn’t he be focused on supporting Mr. Trump, and figuring out how he can partner with him? He’s trying to tear him down right now. He should be reporting in-kind contributions to Hillary Clinton’s campaign for God sakes.”

He further said Ryan was the “mercenary champion for working against Donald Trump every opportunity he gets. I think the rest of the party is unified. I’m unified.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett