Paul Ryan says GOP will beat Biden ‘for sure’ if nominee ‘not named Trump’

Former House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) on Wednesday said the Republican party will “for sure” beat President Biden’s 2024 reelection bid as long as the nominee is “not named Trump.”

“I’m for anybody not named Trump right now … a Republican not named Trump, because I think we beat Biden for sure if we nominate a Republican not named Trump,” Ryan said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” 

Trump, embattled by a number of legal fights and now facing federal criminal charges over his handling of classified materials, is running for another White House term after losing his 2020 reelection bid. With Trump polling at the head of the GOP primary field, he and Biden may be gearing up for a rematch of their 2020 contest.

Ryan said Trump and Biden have a “symbiotic relationship with each other” and “make the best case for each other’s candidacies.”

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Ryan’s comments come after current Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) appeared on the CNBC program and questioned whether Trump is the strongest Republican option for 2024.

“Can he win that election? Yeah he can. The question is, is he the strongest to win the election? I don’t know that answer,” McCarthy said.

Ryan on Wednesday said “it’s a disaster if we nominate Trump.”

“I believe strongly, if we nominate a Republican not named Donald Trump, we win this White House. I really believe that,” the former Speaker said.

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