Then-Speaker of the House Paul Ryan told Republicans in 2016 that they could abandon Trump after the release of the infamous Access Hollywood tape, according to an excerpt of a new book cited Sunday by Axios. On Oct. 10, 2016, three days after the tape was released, Ryan told all House republicans on a “rare” conference call that they no longer needed to remain loyal to the party’s candidate, Politico’s Jake Sherman and Anna Palmer claim in A Hill to Die On. “Ryan’s message on the call was blunt,” the pair reportedly write. “Republicans should feel free to abandon Trump.” “I am not going to defend Donald Trump,” the GOP leader reportedly added. "Not now, not in the future.” On election night, as it became clear Trump could win, Ryan told the president: “This is unbelievable. It looks like you're going to win.”
