September 28, 2016 | No Comments
Speaker Paul Ryan would not rule out a future presidential run on Wednesday morning, saying that “you never say never” and admitting he has “presidential-size policy ambition.”
Speaking at the Economic Club of Washington, the Wisconsin Republican was asked by the moderator whether he’d ever consider running for president. Many have speculated that the former vice presidential-nominee-turned-speaker is the future of the Republican party and will make a run for the White House in 2020.
Ryan typically waves off suggestions that he has Oval Office fever, but he appeared to crack the door on the issue Wednesday morning.
“You never say never to these things,” he said, quickly adding: “but I’ve never really had this ambition.”
“I have presidential-size policy ambition,” he said, referring to his current policy agenda for how to make the country better. “I’ve really never had presidential-size personal ambition. It just was never really in my DNA.”
Ryan speculated that “maybe it’s just the phase of life I’m in.” He said he didn’t run for president this year because he wants his children to grow up with a “normal” life.
“One of the reasons I didn’t do it this last time is because my kids are young and want to be normal,” he said.
Ryan has made it a point to fly home to Janesville to see his family every weekend, despite a busy fundraising schedule that comes with leading House Republicans.
When the moderator noted that he had plenty of time to run after his children grow up, asking if he’d ever do so in the next “25-year period,” Ryan wouldn’t say no.
“Who knows,” he said.