http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/paul-ryan-allies-donald-trump-222919By Rachael Bade
05/06/16 07:33 PM EDT
Two prominent House allies of Paul Ryan broke with the speaker Friday over his decision to withhold support from Donald Trump, comments that point to a growing split among congressional Republicans over how to deal with the presumptive nominee.
Reps. Lynn Westmoreland of Georgia and Dennis Ross of Florida — who, as House whips, help Republican leaders muster support to pass legislation — told POLITICO in interviews on Friday that they disagreed with Ryan’s decision to break with Trump in a bombshell interview a day earlier. Both lawmakers said they believe their leader is in denial about how Republican voters feel about the real-estate tycoon.
“I honestly don’t understand what Paul’s thinking — I don’t get it,” said Westmoreland, who is retiring after this year. “I try not to give advice to the speaker, but I think it just really brought about, in my opinion, even more confusion to this thing.”
“Trust me, I haven’t been on the Donald Trump bandwagon, but I will support him, and I disagree with Ryan’s comment,” Ross said. “I think it’s time we unite (and) … extend an olive branch and start working this out.”
The sharp rebuke from two senior, longtime GOP leadership allies is a rare sight in the House. It highlights a schism in the lower chamber that's expected to grow next week when Congress returns from recess and some House Republicans line up behind their leader and others rally around the GOP standard bearer-in-waiting.
Westmoreland, however, said Ryan’s remarks just make it hard for everyone to get on the same page. The Georgia lawmaker has been trying to convince his conservative friends that they have a choice: embrace Trump now, or roll out the red carpet for a President Hillary Clinton. Ryan’s comments essentially blessed a third option — hold out for now — that Westmoreland believes is poor politics.
Ross said it’s hard to take a stand like Ryan’s when 45 percent of Republicans in his district voted for Trump. That’s his predicament right now.
Establishment types, one would think, would line up with Ryan. But Transportation Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) endorsed Trump late last month.
Meanwhile, vulnerable lawmakers facing tight reelection races are coming down on both sides: Broadly speaking, they take Ryan’s approach if they’re facing a threat from Democrats on the left, but stand with Trump if they’re facing a primary challenge from the right.
Westmoreland believes that some of his fellow Republicans simply don't get it, Ryan included.
“I just don’t think any of them realize… the reason Trump is the nominee is because people are mad at Republicans in Congress for not getting anything done,” he said. “We brag about a lot of stuff we do, but most of the time members are sent home to defend their votes rather than going home and bragging about them. ... And they’re looking at Trump for a change.”
Ross predicted that many in the GOP conference will be dissatisfied with Ryan's stance, and he hopes that will pressure the party to coalesce.
“I think we all should humble ourselves to a degree and unite,” he said. “We can’t be angry and upset and say, ‘We’re just going to take our ball and go home.’ That is not why we were elected. We’re supposed to be leaders and play with the cards we’re dealt.”
