The 2020 presidential race continues to heat up, even with the actual general election more than a year in the future. Donald Trump Jr. took it upon himself this week to slam one of the most recent leaders of the Republican Party, painting former House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) as a failure who shouldn’t be listened to.
Responding to Ryan suggesting that President Donald Trump was setting himself up to lose the next presidential race, Trump Jr. whined on Twitter:
‘Pretty rich. Mitt Romney’s failed 2012 running mate, the speaker who lied to us and didn’t deliver Wall funding (and then lost the house) gives advice on winning.’
Pretty rich. Mitt Romney’s failed 2012 running mate, the speaker who lied to us and didn’t deliver Wall funding (and then lost the house) gives advice on winning. https://t.co/aJsGfHhsVv
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) March 12, 2019
Ryan had observed:
‘The person who defines this race is going to win this race. If this is about Donald Trump and his personality, he isn’t going to win it.’
Ryan is certainly onto something, since through what Trump has claimed as the rousing successes of his presidency, his approval rating hasn’t varied much. FiveThirtyEight estimates this week that it’s at about 41.7 percent, which is among the smallest portions of public support that modern American presidents since Harry Truman have captured at this point in their first term, although he’s faring slightly better than both Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan.
Still, to say public opposition to the Trump presidency is fierce would be an understatement. Just look around at the nearly two dozen declared or potential Democratic presidential candidates, a field which could soon see the formal addition of high-profile names like former Vice President Joe Biden.
On top of these issues, Trump Jr. is way off base to suggest that Ryan lied about being able to procure funding for the president’s long-sought border wall blocking off Mexico and that he lost the U.S. House. Ryan wasn’t even personally running for re-election, and a Republican took over his old seat. Trump Jr. is among what’s no doubt a very small minority of people who take Ryan as responsible for the overall outcome of the 2018 midterm elections in any way whatsoever. Ryan wasn’t even trying to lead anymore — President Trump was though, and under his purview, Republicans lost some 40 Congressional seats.
Before Ryan left office, the House passed a funding package including billions of dollars for the wall. Does that bill just not exist in whatever universe Trump Jr. is lost in, or what? The issue was that Senate Democrats would not support such a measure, and consent from at least a minority of their caucus was required for legislation to move forward. Now, House Democrats also serve as a roadblock to wall funding since they’re newly in the majority.
Trump Jr.’s argument no doubt serves as an indication of the direction the Trump team will keep heading in as 2020 gets ever-closer, going all-in on the antagonism no matter whether or not they throw established figures under the bus. Trump has already been campaigning, holding a rally recently in El Paso, Texas, where he stumped for his so-far nonexistent wall that he originally claimed Mexico was going to pay for but now wants his supporters to shoulder the financial burden of.
Check out Twitter’s response to Trump Jr….
Featured Image via YouTube screenshot
