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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.
\u201cThe only reason Paul Ryan would be crying about Jan 6th is because he knew he and other liars and propagandists and enablers allowed it to get to that violent point of no return. He\u2019s crying because he\u2019s ashamed\u2014and he should be. America deserves justice and freedom from fascism.\u201d— Luke Zaleski (@Luke Zaleski) 1657546395
\u201cI\u2019m sorry, but are we supposed to believe Paul Ryan isn\u2019t already crying on a regular basis?\u201d— connectpoliticditto. (@connectpoliticditto.) 1657546380
\u201cYeah? I kinda just assumed Paul Ryan spends like 50% of his time sobbing, but I guess we can pretend this is news.\u201d— Lord Victor (@Lord Victor) 1657554179
\u201cHe was sobbing all the way to the bank. @FoxNews\u201d— \ud835\udc13\ud835\udc21\ud835\udc1e \ud835\udc04\ud835\udc2b\ud835\udc2c\ud835\udc2d\ud835\udc30\ud835\udc21\ud835\udc22\ud835\udc25\ud835\udc1e \ud835\udc02\ud835\udc28\ud835\udc27\ud835\udc2c\ud835\udc1e\ud835\udc2b\ud835\udc2f\ud835\udc1a\ud835\udc2d\ud835\udc22\ud835\udc2f\ud835\udc1e (@\ud835\udc13\ud835\udc21\ud835\udc1e \ud835\udc04\ud835\udc2b\ud835\udc2c\ud835\udc2d\ud835\udc30\ud835\udc21\ud835\udc22\ud835\udc25\ud835\udc1e \ud835\udc02\ud835\udc28\ud835\udc27\ud835\udc2c\ud835\udc1e\ud835\udc2b\ud835\udc2f\ud835\udc1a\ud835\udc2d\ud835\udc22\ud835\udc2f\ud835\udc1e) 1657565719
\u201cRegarding Paul Ryan crying, I really don\u2019t care, do you? He helped create the Trump mess, he has been part of the problem all along.\u201d— Michelle Sawyer Mog\u00e9 is running for Derry NH (@Michelle Sawyer Mog\u00e9 is running for Derry NH) 1657539928
\u201cPaul Ryan was 'sobbing' as he watched the US Capitol attack unfold, new book says - CNNPolitics What was he crying about? You\u2019d think anyone as complicit as a sitting Board of Directors of Fox News would realize what his silence brought. F him. https://t.co/r5m5l0YFPz\u201d— Steven Workman (@Steven Workman) 1657561582
\u201cPaul Ryan says he was crying as he watched Jan 6. I was laughing when he was no longer speaker. MORON comes to mind.\u201d— Schock (@Schock) 1657549948
\u201cScrew you Paul Ryan, you said you were crying while watching the January 6 events unfold? Funny I don\u2019t think I heard you condemn the attack until now.\u201d— Pastor Rob Fleeceman (@Pastor Rob Fleeceman) 1657531441
\u201cLet\u2019s be abundantly clear about this: if Paul Ryan were so affected by the Jan. 6th attack\u2014crying, he claims, no less\u2014he\u2019d be doing everything he can to hold accountable those behind it.\n\nBut he\u2019s not. Because Paul Ryan has only ever cared about Paul Ryan. Stop listening to him.\u201d— Charlotte Clymer \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Charlotte Clymer \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1657548824
\u201cWish Paul Ryan would sob about all the women still silenced by NDA\u2019s at Fox News since he\u2019s chair of the board and could do something about it. #metoo @julieroginsky\u201d— Gretchen Carlson (@Gretchen Carlson) 1657564036
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.