If you’ve ever wondered why Republicans act like clowns, former House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has an answer for you.
During an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Friday, the Wisconsin Republican said lawmakers today use “entertainment” to climb the ranks in Congress.
“In the old days, like 10 years ago, if you wanted to do really well in Congress, if you wanted to succeed, you climbed a meritocracy. The measurement of success was policy and persuasion,” Ryan said.
“That’s not necessarily what motivates people anymore. There’s a lot of entertainers in Congress from both parties,” he added.
“The old meritocracy that takes 10, 20 years to climb, of being a good policymaker, you can just leap-frog that whole process, be a really good entertainer, have an incredible [digital] presence and forget about policymaking and curate a brand for yourself,” Paul said.
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He seemed to refer to former President Trump, who was notorious for using Twitter to spread his viewpoints on issues and gained popularity through the platform, and several lawmakers like Marjorie Taylor Greene, who notoriously use social media antics to fire up their base.
Ryan lamented that the rise of the entertainer in Congress has hurt bipartisanship as it is “bad for a brand” if a person compromises on an issue.
“If you are going to entertain, if you are going to try to show that you’re better than everyone else within your own ecosystem” it makes it more difficult to be willing to compromise, Paul added.
Ryan’s comments come as lawmakers are in talks about gun control measures following the Uvalde, Texas, elementary school shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers.
Watch the interview below:
Paul Ryan finally has had it with all
the political entertainment out there!pic.twitter.com/KnXAkwIGev
— The Astute Galoot (@TheAstuteGaloot) May 28, 2022
