Former President Donald Trump has had plenty of experience dealing with the political swamp during his time in office. He has become skilled at recognizing his enemies and knows how to handle them. On Wednesday morning on Truth Social, Trump called out former Republican vice presidential candidate, former Speaker of the House and current Fox News board member Paul Ryan as a “weak and ineffective RINO” and a “total lightweight.”
Trump did not hold back in his criticism of Ryan, stating that he and others cannot trust Fox News as long as Ryan remains on the board of directors. He also pointed out Ryan’s lackluster performance as House Speaker from 2015 to 2019 and his unsuccessful appearance as Mitt Romney’s running mate in the 2012 presidential election. In Trump’s eyes, Ryan is a failure and a disloyal person.
Trump went on to call on the powerful Murdoch family, who own Fox Corp., to remove Ryan from the board and make Fox News great again. He even suggested that all Fox News needs is Trump himself. This post on Truth Social was not out of thin air, as earlier in the day, Ryan appeared on Bloomberg Television and made some derogatory comments about the future of the Republican Party and himself.
During the interview, Ryan described himself as an “anti-establishment Republican.” However, his comments about Trump and his supporters revealed a deep-seated belief that those who voted for Trump in the 2024 primary lacked principles and blindly followed their leader. This elitist attitude is a common one among establishment Republicans, and it is clear that Ryan shares this perspective.
Trump’s reference to Ryan as a “Republican in name only” is essentially calling him an establishment Republican. These are individuals who claim to represent the GOP voters but serve the uniparty, ultimately putting their own interests above those of the people they claim to represent. It is no surprise that Trump would call out Ryan in this way, as he has been a vocal advocate for the “America First” movement and the rejection of establishment politics.
Trump’s tactics in this situation are clever. By giving Fox News a choice between himself and his supporters on one hand and Ryan and the establishment GOP on the other, he places the responsibility for the network’s credibility in their hands. He also makes it clear that Ryan’s presence on the board is the main issue, not Fox News itself. This is Trump’s way of giving Fox News a chance to redeem itself and regain his trust.
We’ll have to wait and see if ole Murdochs will take Trump’s advice and remove Ryan from the board. However, his post on Truth Social may be the closest thing that Fox News will ever receive as an olive branch from the former president. It is clear that Trump stands firm in his position on Ryan and the establishment GOP, and he will not back down in his quest to make America great again.