Mitt Romney to Headline NRCC’s 2016 Annual Dinner – Tough Questions for Paul Ryan

By: Meredith Kelly

Tonight, former Governor Mitt Romney will headline the NRCC’s 2016 Annual March Dinner in Washington D.C. When announcing his attendance in December, Speaker Paul Ryan was quoted as saying, “Mitt has a distinguished legacy of public service and his leadership has been instrumental in moving the Republican Party in the right direction.”

So the question is, does Paul Ryan agree with the direction that Mitt Romney has aggressively moved the Republican Party in the months since this glowing quote? Team Romney’s efforts to block Trump at the convention the “right direction”?

Alternatively, since Paul Ryan’s cowardice when asked about Donald Trump as the Republican nominee is well known, let’s pose these questions, based on an NBC assessment of Mitt Romney’s recent speech attacking Donald Trump:

  • Does Paul Ryan agree with Romney that Trump’s business bona fides are highly unimpressive?

On his businesses: “His bankruptcies have crushed small businesses and the men and women who worked for them. He inherited his business, he didn’t create it. And what ever happened to Trump Airlines? How about Trump University? And then there’s Trump Magazine and Trump Vodka and Trump Steaks, and Trump Mortgage? A business genius he is not.”

  • Does Paul Ryan agree with Mitt Romney that Donald Trump is highly unprepared to protect our country and execute on national security policy as Commander-in-Chief?

On foreign policy: “Donald Trump tells us that he is very, very smart. I’m afraid that when it comes to foreign policy he is very, very not smart.

  • Does Paul Ryan agree that Donald Trump is dishonest?

On his character: “Dishonesty is Trump’s hallmark: He claimed that he had spoken clearly and boldly against going into Iraq. Wrong, he spoke in favor of invading Iraq. He said he saw thousands of Muslims in New Jersey celebrating 9/11. Wrong, he saw no such thing. He imagined it. His is not the temperament of a stable, thoughtful leader.”

  • Does Paul Ryan agree that Donald Trump has no moral compass?

On his morality: “Mr. Trump is directing our anger for less than noble purposes. He creates scapegoats of Muslims and Mexican immigrants, he calls for the use of torture and for killing the innocent children and family members of terrorists. He cheers assaults on protesters. He applauds the prospect of twisting the Constitution to limit first amendment freedom of the press. This is the very brand of anger that has led other nations into the abyss.”

And then there was this: “Donald Trump says he admires Vladimir Putin, while has called George W. Bush a liar. That is a twisted example of evil trumping good.”