On Wednesday morning, news broke that House Speaker Paul Ryan would not seek reelection and would retire from Congress following the upcoming midterms. In response, late night host and comedian Stephen Colbert decided to mock Ryan over his support of Donald Trump.
In honor of the House Speaker's decision not to seek reelection, #LSSC presents this look back at Paul Ryan's most courageous stances. #PaulRyan #Courage pic.twitter.com/mLPkMp5L0o
— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) April 11, 2018
Late Show on Ryan
For the last 20 years, Paul Ryan as been in Congress as a top member of the Republican Party, serving as Speaker of the House since 2015 following the retirement of John Boehner.
Despite being a loyal member to the GOP, Ryan has found himself in the middle of rift in the party since the election of Donald Trump. As the head of the Republican Party in the House of Representatives, Ryan has been in charge of building a bridge between Trump and conservatives in Congress who have been in opposition of the president. Due to Trump's controversial nature, it's been a difficult job for Ryan, who decided to announce on Wednesday that he would retire at the end of the year.
“This is the nightmare scenario,” said former Representative Thomas M. Davis, a Virginia Republican. “Everybody figured he’d just hang in there till after the election.” https://t.co/bLqOETr4eM
— The New York Times (@nytimes) April 11, 2018
With Paul Ryan heading out of Washington after the midterms, Stephen Colbert took a humorous shot at the House Speaker with a video mashup during the April 11 edition of "The Late Show." The clip mocked Ryan by sarcastically pointing out his "most courageous stances," including his views on Donald Trump's tweets where he once said "I've decided I'm not gonna comment on the tweets of the day or the hour." On Ryan's stance on the women who accused the president of sexual misconduct, the House Speaker was quoted as saying, "I don't even know what all of these accusations are."
On Paul Ryan's "courageous" stance on Donald Trump's alleged racism, the video shows the GOP leader saying "Um...I know his heart is in the right place." The video then concluded with Ryan announcing that "this year will be my last one as a member of the House."
Next up
Following the news of Paul Ryan's retirement, Donald Trump gave his thoughts in a tweet, labeling him as a "truly good man" who will " leave a legacy of achievement that nobody can question." Despite this, many have speculated as to why Ryan has decided to leave with Republicans in full control of the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the White House, with most signs pointing to the controversy in the Trump administration.
While Republicans are expected to lose many seats to the Democratic Party during the midterms, it's expected that the GOP will still hold onto the majority and only time will tell who will lead the House following Ryan's exit.
