Trump's attack on Ryan seen as advance scapegoating
BY MELANIE ZANONA AND JULIEGRACE BRUFKE - 10/31/18 06:32 PM EDT
President Trump’s stunning attack on Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) on Wednesday is being interpreted by many on Capitol Hill as an attempt to deflect blame and throw the retiring Speaker under the bus should the GOP lose its House majority next week.
The commander-in-chief took to Twitter, just six days before the midterm elections, to publicly slam Ryan for rejecting his calls to end birthright citizenship via executive order.
“Paul Ryan should be focusing on holding the Majority rather than giving his opinions on Birthright Citizenship, something he knows nothing about! Our new Republican Majority will work on this, Closing the Immigration Loopholes and Securing our Border!” Trump tweeted Wednesday.
Trump has long been frustrated that he hasn’t been able to implement his top immigration priorities, including securing full funding for his proposed border wall, under the GOP-led Congress.
Now, as the House majority appears to be slipping away from Republicans, Trump is suddenly lashing out at the Speaker.
A combination of late district polls, fundraising numbers, Trump’s falling approval rating and historical trends have all leaned in the Democrats’ favor, leading to a growing sense among the party’s top brass in recent days that the House is theirs for the taking next week.
Trump's political team has pointed to the high number of GOP retirements and poor fundraising totals among sleepy incumbents as the main source of the party’s troubles in the House. In the third quarter, 110 Democratic challengers outraised their Republican opponents.
But on Capitol Hill, Republicans say Trump’s lack of discipline and penchant for controversy has put them at a disadvantage. They pointed to Wednesday’s tweet as a prime example.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/house/414199-trumps-attack-on-ryan-seen-as-advance-scapegoating
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