Former Speaker Paul Ryan Blames Dismal GOP Midterms On 'Trump Hangover'

Former Republican speaker of the House Paul Ryan blamed the poor GOP showing in the midterm elections on a Donald Trump “hangover,” calling the former president a “drag on our ticket.”

Republicans should have “done better” in Tuesday’s midterm elections, said the former GOP lawmaker from Wisconsin on local WISN-12 News in an interview on Wednesday. (Check out the interview below.)

Ryan, who was never much of a Trump fan, said he was happy about Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis’ blowout reelection victory, and blamed Trump for the party’s poor showing elsewhere.

“I think Trump’s kind of a drag on our ticket,” said Ryan, as part of a growing chorus of Republicans calling on the party to dump Trump. “I think Donald Trump gives us problems politically. We lost the House, the Senate and the White House in two years when Trump was on the ballot — or in office.”

“I think we just have some Trump hangover. I think he’s a drag on our offices, on our races,” he added.

Ryan repeated his earlier prediction that Trump won’t be the party’s presidential nominee for 2024.

“I assume he’s probably going to announce, but I honestly don’t think he’ll get the nomination at the end of the day,” said Ryan. “The reason I think so is we want to win, we want to win the White House, and we know with Trump we’re so much more likely to lose. Just look at the difference between votes, between Trump candidates and non-Trump-aligned candidates.”

“It’s really clear to me, and the evidence is pretty stark, that if we have a nominee not named Trump, we’re so much more likely to win the White House than if our nominee’s named Trump.”