Paul Nehlen Denounces Paul Ryan’s ‘Betrayal’ of Trump: ‘The Mask Has Been Pulled Off’

Paul Ryan’s populist nationalist primary challenger in Wisconsin is taking the gloves off.

As Donald Trump declines to endorse Ryan in his primary bid against Nehlen—citing the need for “strong leadership”—Nehlen is using the opportunity to spell out in no uncertain terms what his race against Ryan is really all about.

Nehlen held a press conference Wednesday blasting Ryan’s “betrayal” of Trump. Ryan has consistently sought to undermine Trump by criticizing him in the press. The Republican National Committee is reportedly unhappy that Trump is not lining up to endorse Ryan or John McCain against his Arizona primary challenger Kelli Ward.

“I’d like to begin by briefly discussing Paul Ryan’s betrayal of the Republican nominee for Ryan’s own personal enrichment,” Nehlen said. “Speaker Ryan’s repeated betrayal of Donald Trump is an act of sabotage against our Party and an act of sabotage against our Republican electorate who selected Mr. Trump as our nominee.”

“Speaker Ryan’s actions once again indicate that he has never cared about his constituents that he’s been elected to represent. Paul Ryan’s only ambition is his own personal ambition.”

“It doesn’t matter if you’re a Republican or a Democrat, it’s hard to disagree with the fact that Ryan’s efforts to undermine the Republican nominee, whom he pretends to have endorsed, is exactly the kind of two-faced dishonest politics that represents what’s wrong with Washington today,” Nehlen said. “What Ryan is doing is unseemly and it is selfish. Paul Ryan is only about one thing: Paul Ryan.”

“But his act is wearing thin, his smirk has grown old, and his mask has been pulled off,” Nehlen said.

Some Republicans are lying in wait, hoping that Trump loses to Hillary Clinton in November so that the populist forces can be expelled from the party and the same Establishment power brokers can re-take the GOP ahead of the 2020 election.

“Donald Trump has courageously taken on the entrenched special interests who sought to suppress the working people of this country and who have sought to deny them a livable wage,” Nehlen said. “By contrast, Paul Ryan has fought every step of the way to empower those forces working to disenfranchise voters and working to leave our citizens powerless and unable to provide for themselves and their families.”

“But we are here today to say that we will no longer accept rule by corporations, servitude to special interests, and serfdom to entrenched advocates.”

“August 9th is Wisconsin’s Independence Day for all voters who can cast a ballot to put to America and her citizens first,” Nehlen declared.