Ex-House Speaker Paul Ryan says he'll not vote for Trump as he doesn't have 'character' needed for presidency

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Former House Speaker Paul Ryan stated that he was not going to vote in favor of presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, during an interview with Yahoo Finance on May 7.

Since leaving the chair of the Speaker in 2019, Ryan has reportedly been vocal in his opposition to the former President and shared that he would be writing in a Republican candidate instead of voting for reinstating Trump in the White House.

Paul Ryan announces he will not vote for Donald Trump

Speaking with Yahoo Finance at the Milken Institute Global Conference, Ryan stated, "Character is too important for me—and (the presidency) is a job that requires the kind of character that he (Trump) just doesn’t have."

"Having said that, I really disagree with Biden's policies. I wrote in a Republican the last time, I am going to write in a Republican this time," he quickly added.

The Vice Chairman and partner at private equity firm Solamere Capital had shared his concerns about Trump the previous day as well, saying that he would be “bad on NATO, bad on alliances, bad on Europe, and bad on trade."

"Democracy is being tested in two very specific ways. One within, with our polarization eating each other alive. The second one is from (the outside), from authoritarian regimes who are basically saying they got the mojo, they can make the decisions faster, they can beat democracy."

While Ryan did approve of Trump's tax policies, he was concerned about the spending plans of both Trump and Biden and claimed that they were “demagoguing” lawmakers who were “offering solutions.”

“I think they’re both bad for the economy,” he reportedly stated.

Internet supports Paul Ryan denouncing Donald Trump

"Paul Ryan's stance underscores the significance of character in leadership roles like the presidency. It's a poignant reminder of the values we should prioritize in our leaders," wrote a user on the social media platform X responding to the news.

"Let’s hope more people are finally going to get a grip on their values," shared another admirably.

"Damn. Took him long enough," expressed a third.

"We need more Republicans speaking out publicly like this," supported a fourth user.

"More of this needs to happen! Stand up for what is right!" commented a fifth.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.