Paul Ryan: 'I'll Be Voting' For Donald Trump For President
WASHINGTON (CBSNewYork/AP) -- House Speaker Paul Ryan will be voting for Donald Trump for president.
Ryan made the announcement Thursday in an op-ed in the Janesville Gazette. It's the first public backing Ryan has given the presumptive Republican presidential nominee after he previously would not endorse Trump.
Ryan spokesman Brendan Buck says the statement marks a formal endorsement.
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"Donald Trump and I have talked at great length about things such as the proper role of the executive and fundamental principles such as the protection of life. The list of potential Supreme Court nominees he released after our first meeting was very encouraging," Ryan wrote.
He continued, "But the House policy agenda has been the main focus of our dialogue. We've talked about the common ground this agenda can represent. We've discussed how the House can be a driver of policy ideas. We've talked about how important these reforms are to saving our country. And we've talked about how, by focusing on issues that unite Republicans, we can work together to heal the fissures developed through the primary.
"Through these conversations, I feel confident he would help us turn the ideas in this agenda into laws to help improve people's lives. That's why I'll be voting for him this fall."
In the op-ed, Ryan said that despite their differences, "we have more common ground than disagreement."
"For me, it's a question of how to move ahead on the ideas that I—and my House colleagues—have invested so much in through the years. It's not just a choice of two people, but of two visions for America. And House Republicans are helping shape that Republican vision by offering a bold policy agenda, by offering a better way ahead," Ryan wrote.
He continued, "Donald Trump can help us make it a reality."
Trump and Ryan met on Capitol Hill last month after the billionaire was deemed the presumptive Republican nominee.