Posted on 10/11/2016 10:47:29 AM PDT by Kevin C
Top Donald Trump adviser Ben Carson came to House Speaker Paul Ryan’s defense on Tuesday and criticized the GOP nominee for exacerbating an intra-party feud less than a month before the election.
“Paul Ryan is being very pragmatic,” Carson said in an interview with The Hill. “He recognizes that if Donald Trump loses, Hillary Clinton needs a firewall so she can’t do whatever she wants. He wants to make sure to keep the firewall there, so he’s devoting his energy to doing that.” Trump laid into Ryan in a series of tweets on Tuesday morning, calling the Speaker “weak and ineffective” and vowing to run the rest of his campaign against GOP leaders and the Republicans who have abandoned him.
Ryan held a call with the GOP conference Monday saying he would no longer defend Trump and that Republicans up for election should do what they need to do to win – even if that means cutting Trump loose.
Trump is furious over the slight, and he and his campaign signaled they would not let the matter go.
Republicans abandoned Trump in droves over the weekend after an explosive video surfaced of the nominee making obscene remarks. Some are panicking that the chaos at the top of the ticket will cost majorities in the Senate and potentially the House.
Carson said that Trump should focus on winning his own race rather than feuding with GOP leaders.
"The way forward is for them to both pursue their respective goals,” Carson said. “Trump should concentrate on the issues and stop allowing himself to be dragged off into the hinterlands … Let Paul Ryan concentrate on the House. It’s critical, you need that fail-safe mechanism.
“He’ll realize soon enough that he shouldn’t be attacking Ryan and that his energy needs to be on the issues, because that’s how he wins,” Carson continued. “If he would concentrate on those things he would win in a walk. It’s hard for him."
Carson acknowledged that the GOP appears to be in the throes of a divisive civil war, and warned that it could doom the party on Election Day.
“Basically what’s happening is our country is a train about to go off a cliff and there’s a fight going on in one of the cars,” Carson said.
“Traditionally Republicans always find a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory,” he added. “This might be the most graphic example of it, although there’s still hope. It’s a matter of whether folks will be willing to look at the big picture and not just at their own feelings.”
If Ryan were anything like what he pretends to be, he would be speaking against Trump loud and clear much before now, instead of jumping on a bandwagon.
With “fire-wall” like Ryan, who would need fire? He and the entire Republican establishment would rubber stamp whatever the old B would want them to pass without fight. The DC has been working this way for almost last 50 years, the republican party has acted as the tax collector for the left wing welfare state. The collusion has benefits both parties establishments.
“Republicans abandoned Trump in droves”
Cracks me up to read this - none of these aholes are Republicans, they are lyin’ filthy rats with a damn ‘R’ behind their names.
Screw Ryan and sorry Benny, your logic fails imho
“if Trump loses...” No, it is unacceptable Trump loses and the Republican establishment wins, which has been actively sabotaging Trump campaign since beginning. Trump needs to bring them down with him, if he is down.
For a brain surgeon, the Doc sure does seem to be a dim bulb sometimes...
Pitiful Carson
“I thought Mike Lee was in Trump’s corner? “
Lee has been a huge nevertrumper from day 1
Nonsense Dr. Somnambula. Trump would have veto power and executive branch control etc. Trump stuck up for you and for his trouble gets another shiv, however tiny (like the one in a nail clipper). Say buh-bye to the Surgeon General\HHS post.
The voters in these states should bring them down...I do NOT plan on voting the down ticket here in Utah, Mike Lee is a traitor and so is Mia Love...
Ben:
Love you man!
But you are dead wrong on this.
It’s come time in the campaign to quit questioning and fix bayonets and charge with who we have on the ballot.
If Paul Ryan wants to sit in the Assembly Area and complain, then maybe he should find a different line of work.
With all due respect to the good doctor, if you can’t say something which contributes to victory, STFU!
Then he will turn around and prepare for an evening dinner with Hillary and George Soros.
Ben, Ben, Ben...what are you thinking.
Firewall against Hillary doing what she wants? LOLOLOLOLOL. It is impossible to laugh hard enough at that idiocy.
Ben, remember Ryan passed the Omnibus - giving Obama and Nancy Pelosi MORE than they ever dreamed of getting. You vote for a Republican Congress and all they will do is give Hillary ever MORE than she could ever dream of getting on her own. They will line their pockets giving her a Leftist Paradise complete with a monstrously huge Muslim population and No-Go zones.
The Republicans can’t wait to give Hillary EVERYTHING. They see $$$$$ coming to them.
Well, if anyone is going to talk badmouth here in PA, they don’t have much of a vote from me. I just can’t see what Donald Trump said as being anywhere near as bad as how Benghazi was handled. Totally different league, and yes, people died.
I think Dr. Carson means well, but the TIMING of Ryan’s sneer, blunting the momentum that Trump had going out of the debate, giving the MSM a new lead story, hurts Trump without helping the underticket. On that basis, and in conjunction of Paul Ryan’s overall behavior, he should be demoted from leadership.
The train car analogy is perfect. I understand Carson’s point but when you have gop wusses coming this way, it’s rally hard not to respond. And I for one, will never forget it. Trump fights for us.
P.s. the headline is being stretched a bit..but that’s the media for ya. Carson is being the diplomat, no way is he off the Trump side.
Dr. Carson, you are a nice man and I’ve been delighted to see you on board as a Trump advisor. But you are dead wrong on this subject. First of all, Trump can’t win unless the people who support him turn out to vote in massive numbers. They won’t do that if Trump appears to be a political weakling who can be pushed around without consequence by the likes of Paul Ryan. Second, if you want to criticize Trump or his decisions, you need to do so privately. Airing your disagreements in The Hill is utterly foolish and damaging to Trump.
He is winning by a lot!!!
I like Ben Carson, but Trump is winning by a landslide right now and it’s going to be a blowout on election day, Ryan is abandoning him because he believes the Liberal propaganda.
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