Trump Just 'New at This': As Comey Hearing Concludes, Paul Ryan Jumps To Defend President
Republican Speaker of the House argues president's effort to create "patronage relationship" should instead be viewed as behavior of a someone who simply didn't know any better
As former FBI Director James Comey offered scathing testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) went on the record to defend President Donald Trump and argued that what the director perceived as an attempt to create a "patronage relationship" should instead be viewed as the behavior of a president who just didn't know any better.
"The president's new at this," Ryan said. "He's new to government."
Ryan was pressed by reporters if lack of experience should excuse the behaviors documented in Comey's testimony.
"I'm not saying it's an acceptable excuse," Ryan responded. "It's just my observation."
Watch:
Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) was among the unimpressed.
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As former FBI Director James Comey offered scathing testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) went on the record to defend President Donald Trump and argued that what the director perceived as an attempt to create a "patronage relationship" should instead be viewed as the behavior of a president who just didn't know any better.
"The president's new at this," Ryan said. "He's new to government."
Ryan was pressed by reporters if lack of experience should excuse the behaviors documented in Comey's testimony.
"I'm not saying it's an acceptable excuse," Ryan responded. "It's just my observation."
Watch:
Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) was among the unimpressed.
As former FBI Director James Comey offered scathing testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) went on the record to defend President Donald Trump and argued that what the director perceived as an attempt to create a "patronage relationship" should instead be viewed as the behavior of a president who just didn't know any better.
"The president's new at this," Ryan said. "He's new to government."
Ryan was pressed by reporters if lack of experience should excuse the behaviors documented in Comey's testimony.
"I'm not saying it's an acceptable excuse," Ryan responded. "It's just my observation."
Watch:
Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) was among the unimpressed.