FIERCE

Paul Ryan Blasts Trump’s KKK Comments

"This is the party of Lincoln."

House Speaker Paul Ryan denounced Donald Trump’s latest statements—or lack thereof—about the Ku Klux Klan and David Duke. During a Tuesday morning presser, Ryan called Trump’s unwillingness to distance himself from white supremacists a “fundamental” break from conservative orthodoxy, all without actually mentioning the real-estate mogul’s name. “This party does not prey on people’s prejudices,” Ryan said. “When I see something that runs counter to who we are as a party and as a country, I will speak up, so today I want to be very clear about something: If a person wants to be the nominee of the Republican Party, there can be no evasion and no games. They must reject any group or cause that is built on bigotry... We appeal to their highest ideals. This is the party of Lincoln.”