Speaker of the House Paul Ryan relayed a message Tuesday, announcing yet again that he does not wish to be drafted as the GOP presidential nominee.
Ryan spoke at a press conference at the headquarters of the Republican National Committee in Washington, D.C., clarifying, “I do not want, nor will I accept the nomination for our party.”
The speaker noted there was too much work to be done in the House of Representatives to spend time entertaining “speculations...or to have my motivations questioned.”
Ryan dismissed the notion that he might end up on the Republican ballot if the party faced a brokered convention in Cleveland. Directly addressing the delegates, he insisted that if faced with a scenario where no candidate has the majority, the person chosen should be someone who participated in the primary.
Despite Ryan’s numerous assurances that he will not accept the Republican nomination, skeptics look to his past behavior when he repeatedly said he didn’t want John Boehner’s position as speaker of the house, yet he eventually accepted the position last year.
David Canon, a political science professor at UW-Madison, said if there is a deadlocked convention, he can’t imagine Ryan saying no to the nomination.
“[Ryan] had denials about being speaker and eventually things got to the point where he had to become speaker to save the party,” Canon said. “If there is a deadlock convention with Trump supporters, Cruz supporters and Kasich supporters unable to come to a compromise, then the party must do something,” added Canon.
When asked what the chances are the July convention will come to a deadlock, Canon estimated 30 percent. In that case, he said, it seems unlikely Ryan will deny the nomination.
But Canon added that Ryan’s response is understandable given the current climate.
“[Ryan] is doing the right thing saying he’s not going to run right now,” Canon said. “It’s the appropriate thing to do.”
