Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) on Wednesday struck an optimistic note about the state of the Republican in the run-up to his departure.
Ryan announced he is retiring at the end of his term to spend more time with his family, and he told Fox News’ Dana Perino that he trusts the Republican Party will be "in good hands." Perino asked if a Republican leadership battle could hurt their electoral chances in the 2018 midterms, and Ryan said they are all focused on the party’s shared goals.
"I know we're all focused on actually executing this agenda, keeping the majority," Ryan said. "We have a very strong leadership team. That's one of the reasons I took comfort in making this decision because I know there's a capable leadership team I can hand the gavel onto."
Ryan also said his relationship with President Donald Trump has improved markedly and helped make Republican legislative achievements possible. Perino inquired about what changed between them after Trump repeatedly criticized him, and Ryan said they simply got to know each other.
"Honestly, Dana, it's just knowing each other," he said. "We spend a great deal of time with each other. We’re having dinner tonight. We speak on the phone constantly. We just developed a good friendship. We developed a good rapport."
Ryan touted regulatory reform, tax cuts, and military funding as reasons to be satisfied with his speakership during Trump’s administration, but he did say he regretted failing to enact entitlement reform. Specifically, he said he was proud of the House passing a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare even though the Senate failed to put it on Trump’s desk.
"Do I regret the Senate missing this opportunity of a lifetime to reduce the debt and bring down healthcare premiums? Yeah," he said. "I'm proud of the fact that the House has consistently passed these bills. The House passed this bill, the Senate didn't."
Perino asked whether Ryan felt at home among "swamp creatures" in Washington, D.C., and Ryan said he did not.
"No, I never really did. I always felt like a Wisconsin guy that came to Washington, to Congress, to make a difference," Ryan said.
"With teenagers at home, I do another term and they will really only know me as a weekend dad," he added. "You have to remember, I came to Congress before I had kids, so they've only known me as a weekend dad. And if I do another term, that's all they'll ever know me as."
Ryan said he looks forward to Republicans getting more done in the near future, specifically on infrastructure and workforce development.