Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Paul Ryan Called Out Hard After Claiming He Was 'Sobbing' While Watching Jan. 6 Riot On TV

Paul Ryan Called Out Hard After Claiming He Was 'Sobbing' While Watching Jan. 6 Riot On TV
Yichuan Cao/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Former Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan—one of the more prominent GOP leaders of the last decade—was harshly criticized after claiming he was "sobbing" while watching live news coverage of former Republican President Donald Trump's supporters attack the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Ryan—speaking of the day a mob of Trump's supporters lead by White nationalists and White supremacists attacked the nation's seat of government on the false premise the 2020 general election had been stolen—said “something snapped” in him as he watched the violent insurrection unfold on his televison screen.


The violent insurrection left at least five people dead, over 100 injuries to law enforcement and millions of dollars in damages.

Ryan made the remarks in an interview with journalist Mark Leibovich, whose new book Thank You for Your Servitude: Donald Trump's Washington and the Price of Submission chronicles in detail how Trump transformed a "onetime party of rugged individualists into a sycophantic personality cult."

Leibovich wrote Ryan "figured the President would bitch and moan and maybe make a big show of ‘fighting’ for his supporters for a while" but "eventually Trump would just leave... And everyone could then just get on with their lives.”

Any hope of that was shattered on January 6. Ryan said watching the attack unfold in the building "I spent my whole adult life in" had "really disturbed me, foundationally.”

However, others were quick to remind Ryan he bears at least some of the responsibility for Trump's ascendancy.

While Ryan was often critical of Trump, he regularly partnered with him on Republican legislative priorities—particularly a much derided overhaul of the tax code that drastically cut taxes for the wealthy—and publicly endorsed him in both 2016 and 2020.

Ryan's relationship with Trump caused him to fall out of favor among Democrats and Republicans alike and the once promising GOP star, who was named as the party's vice presidential nominee in 2012, quit Congress in 2019. Since then, he has maintained a relatively low profile and currently sits on the board of the Fox Corporation, receiving an annual salary of roughly $350,000.

Ryan was swiftly criticized.



Whispers about Ryan's potential retirement from Congress circulated around Washington for months before his official departure in 2019.

He was once floated as a possible candidate for 2020, but The Associated Press later confirmed that he would not run after all, putting an end to considerable speculation.

More from People/donald-trump

Red cap with "Make America Great Again" text held by a hand with a black watch.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

MAGA Voter Gets Blunt Reality Check After Complaining That Her Mom's Government Assistance Was Taken Away

A new entry to the MAGA voter with regrets subReddit "Leopards Ate My Face" (r/LeopardsAteMyFace) drew all the customary empathy it deserved for a woman named DiAnne.

In a series of posts beginning in August of 2025, DiAnne expressed her devotion and faith in MAGA Republican President Donald Trump.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Scott Jennings and Leigh McGowan
CNN

CNN Panelist Epically Rips Conservative Pundit After He Tries To Downplay Epstein Files

Podcast host Leigh McGowan criticized conservative CNN panelist Scott Jennings on Monday over his cavalier attitude about the Justice Department's failure to release the Epstein files, calling his response “insane” and “horrifying.”

The DOJ has released less than 1% of the Epstein files. The department acknowledged that it has released just 12,285 documents—totaling 125,575 pages—related to Epstein, even though federal law required the bulk of those records to be made public by December 19.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Mar-a-Lago performers in dog masks
@patriottakes/X

Mar-A-Lago Just Hosted A Bizarre Event With Entertainers In Dog Masks—And The Mockery Was Swift

President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate is weirding people the hell out after hosting an event with entertainers dressed in Rococo-era costumes and wearing dog masks.

The images are from the American Humane Society’s 15th annual Hero Dog Awards Gala at Mar-a-Lago on Friday, January 9, an event that Trump attended to honor "courageous canines." Video from the Palm Beach gathering shows some attendees wearing 18th-century formal attire topped with dog masks.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

New Data On How Trump Is Polling With Gen Z Is A Disastrous Wake-Up Call For His Administration

According to the latest polling data highlighted on CNN, President Donald Trump's support among Gen Z voters has fallen considerably—a remarkable shift in public opinion from a cohort whose support proved crucial to his 2024 election win.

Trump's 2024 campaign received a massive boost thanks to the efforts of Turning Point USA's Charlie Kirk, the far-right activist who was assassinated in September. Kirk galvanized the youth vote but those gains have not held steady since Trump entered office.

Keep ReadingShow less