Paul Ryan: Donald Trump ‘Fine’ With My Agenda Campaign

Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan says Republican candidates Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and John Kasich are fine with him conducting an agenda campaign on the sidelines of the Republican presidential race — even though he is not running for president.

“They say they’re fine. They understand why we’re doing this, what we’re doing, and they’re comfortable with the direction we’re headed,” Ryan says. “We’re not worrying with something that’s out of our control.”

The Speaker’s office released another campaign quality video of Ryan urging Republicans to stop putting “gas on the fire” in response to angry Americans, but rather channel their anger into solutions.

Ryan is also hosting a Millennial Town Hall at Georgetown tomorrow to discuss Republican solutions with college students.

The Speaker was challenged by CBS reporter Norah O’Donnell in an interview. She pointed out that Ryan is running a “parallel policy shop” to the leading presidential candidates in the presidential race.

“That’s true,” Ryan admitted. He argued that there wasn’t enough time to explain to Americans what solutions that Republicans had to offer until after the convention, a lesson he learned by running with Mitt Romney in 2012.

“If you wait until after the convention to all the sudden get your act together and then produce an agenda in say, August or September, it’s too late,” he said.

When questioned about his motives by CBS anchor Charlie Rose, Ryan admitted that his style was different than Donald Trump’s.

“I’m a Jack Kemp/Ronald Reagan Republican,” he said. “We all have different styles and forms.”

“What is Donald Trump?” asked Rose.

“Donald Trump is a Donald Trump Republican,” Ryan replied.

Ryan adds he and his made a decision to not run for president, because he has a young family. The Speaker says he’s still comfortable with his decision.

“I could have run in 2016, I was doing well in the polls, I could have run in 2012,” he said. “Janna and I chose not to do that.”

He argued, however, that he still had an alternative agenda to offer to the American people.

“That doesn’t mean that we in Congress don’t have a solution here,” he said. “That doesn’t mean that we can’t offer ideas.”