Trump: Republicans like Paul Ryan are 'weak, ineffective & stupid'

By Christian Vasquez

President Donald Trump on Saturday broadened his attack on Paul Ryan, saying conservatives like the former speaker "almost killed the Republican Party" because they were "weak, ineffective & stupid."

"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,'" Trump wrote.

"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!" Trump continued.

Trump's repeated attacks on Ryan this week came after the Wednesday publication of book excerpts detailing the former speaker's negative views of Trump during the 2016 campaign and his first two years as president.

Trump first attacked Ryan late Thursday by tweet, writing he had left “his Party in the lurch both as a fundraiser & leader” ahead of a visit to Ryan’s home state of Wisconsin. Addressing reporters hours later, Trump called the former speaker a "baby."

“We’ve gotten so numbed by it all,” Ryan said of Trump’s behavior in the book "American Carnage" by POLITICO Magazine’s Tim Alberta. “Not in government, but where we live our lives, we have a responsibility to try and rebuild. Don’t call a woman a ‘horse face.’ Don’t cheat on your wife. Don’t cheat on anything. Be a good person. Set a good example.”

FILE - In this Sept. 5, 2018, file photo, then Speaker of the House Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., listens to President Donald Trump speak during a meeting with Republican lawmakers in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. Trump unloaded an angry late-night tweetstorm on Ryan, calling Ryan a “lame duck failure” who “had the Majority and blew it away.” Ryan is very critical of Trump in the book “American Carnage” by Tim Alberta of Politico, which had excerpts in various publications this week. Alberta wrote the former speaker could not stand the idea of another two years with the president and saw retirement as the

Ryan has not responded to Trump’s recent broadsides.

McCarthy, an early defender of then-candidate Trump who was running against the GOP establishment, became House minority leader in 2018 after Ryan retired from politics and Democrats flipped the House. McCarthy served as majority leader under Ryan and was widely predicted to be Ryan’s successor.

Trump has frequently referred to the Californian, who was first elected to the House in 2006, as “My Kevin.” McCarthy defended Trump's policies as recently as Thursday, at a news conference, blaming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for the deportation raids set to begin Sunday.

Trump followed up his latest attack on Ryan by touting his current approval rating among Republicans.

"94% Approval Rating in the Republican Party, an all time high. Ronald Reagan was 87%. Thank you!" Trump tweeted.

Trump is polling at 90 percent with Republicans according to the latest Gallup Poll. According to the latest POLITICO/Morning Consult poll, Trump has an 85 percent approval rating among potential GOP primary voters.