Speaker of the House Paul Ryan will appear at the Republican National Committee’s headquarters on Capitol Hill Tuesday afternoon to formally crush the dreams of anti-Donald Trump conservatives.
Ryan is expected to definitively decline a White House bid this year, according to an aide.
Ryan has ruled out running for president multiple times, but his supporters continue to float his name as a potential candidate who can “rescue the GOP.” Ryan reportedly feels the 2016 GOP nominee should be chosen from the pool of candidates who have actually been running for the job.
If Trump or Ted Cruz does not reach the 1,237 delegates required for an automatic nomination before July’s Republican National Convention, then a brokered convention would potentially open up the door for a possible Ryan run.
“He’s going to rule himself out and put this to rest once and for all,” the aide said.
Many Republicans feel that Trump or Cruz would lose to Hilary Clinton in November. Ryan, who will be the ceremonial chairman of the July convention, recently called for a more dignified political dialogue.
Ryan had been appearing presidential, including meeting with prominent Middle East leaders like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in recent weeks. But he seems to have a hard time committing to career growth. He was famously reluctant to step into the speaker’s role after John Boehner announced his retirement.