'Unserious politics' hurting democracy and Trump is 'a scourge,' Paul Ryan tells Utah crowd

OREM — Polarization and "unserious" politicians are preventing the United States from confronting crises like the national debt, former House Speaker Paul Ryan told a crowd at Utah Valley University on Thursday.

His address came only days after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted from the role Ryan once held, which he says points to the problems with politicians who are more interested in building personal brands than in governing.

"I think what happened in Congress the other day was a total disgrace," he said. "Removing a speaker for simply doing his job — I think that was absolutely disgraceful, he didn't deserve it."

Ryan, a self-described "recovering politician," spoke of the problems facing the country at the Gary R. Herbert Institute for Public Policy at Utah Valley University, alongside former Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, for whom the institute is named. He focused on two major threats against American democracy, one from within and one from without.

"I'd say at the root of this is the fact that we have this hyperpolarization that is alive and well and Americans are tearing each other apart," he said of the current political climate.

"Right now we have fundamentally unserious politics," he continued. "We do not have political leaders doing the right thing to get these things under control."

On the other hand, rising authoritarianism in countries like Russia and China is a threat to the democratic world the U.S. has helped lead for decades.

"They're basically saying, 'We are better than democracy, we are faster and nimbler than democracy,'" he said.

Confronting totalitarianism abroad has always been a challenge, but Ryan said fixing polarization in domestic politics is something that individual voters can, and should, address. To put it simply, it's a problem of supply and demand.

"You need to demand that your politicians supply you with solutions and policies and not just rhetoric," he said.

Sen. Mitt Romney on McCarthy removal: 'It's a pathway to chaos'

Sen. Mitt Romney said House Republicans were on a "pathway to chaos" after eight of them voted to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy from his leadership position.

Ryan praised Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah, whose district includes Utah Valley University, as someone "who's there to solve problems," and asked voters to elect more politicians like Curtis, and fewer like Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Florida, who brought forth the motion to oust McCarthy.

Ryan, a Republican, represented Wisconsin in the House of Representatives for 20 years beginning in 1999, and served as speaker of the House from 2015 to 2019. He was current Utah Sen. Mitt Romney's running mate during the 2012 presidential election.

'He's a scourge'

During a discussion with Herbert about U.S. providing aid to Ukraine during their fight against Russia, Ryan took the opportunity to break with many in his party when it comes to the de facto leader of the GOP: former President Donald Trump.

"I think he's a scourge, I think he's so dangerous for our party and for the country," Ryan said. "He, for reasons that confound me, has such a sympathy for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin."

As many in the party — including Utah Sen. Mike Lee — have grown skeptical of the amount of aid given to the Ukrainians, Ryan said the help is key to keeping the U.S. out of a broader war. When asked about the belief of some Republicans that aid given to Ukraine would be better spent securing the southern border, he said that sentiment is "a bunch of bull."

"We can walk and chew gum at the same time," he said.

As for Ukraine, he said their "fight is our fight," and pulling back support would give a "green light" to Russia and set the U.S. and its allies back in terms of countering China.

"And if we don't help (Ukraine) win this fight, then we're going to get pulled into the fight ourselves, it's just that clear and that simple."

What makes a presidential candidate?

Ryan also took shots at Trump when he was asked what qualities make for a good presidential candidate in 2024. In addition to being "someone who's able and fit to do the job," Ryan said an ideal candidate is "somebody who's not indicted," in reference to the multiple criminal charges pending against the former president.

The former speaker issued support for several current Republican candidates, including former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, though he didn't endorse anyone in particular. He did say the party would suffer in 2024 if it nominated Trump for a third consecutive cycle.

"We're going to give away the presidency again if we nominate this guy," Ryan said.

Whether the GOP can move on from Trump will have a big impact on the party as a whole, he said, as the current party is trapped "in this ugly, populous vortex."

"We can get through, but it's going to get worse before it gets better, I'm afraid," he said.

Still, Ryan is optimistic that the biggest issues facing the party and the country can be solved.

"Our end is not in front of us — we just have to get our act together, reduce our political polarization, work on solutions, get more serious politicians in government and then we're there," he said.

Related topics