Speaker Paul Ryan is putting his stamp on Republican foreign policy, a departure for a GOP leader who for much of his career has been focused on domestic policy.
Ryan just completed his first foreign trip as Speaker, visiting Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
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Ryan didn’t run away from that comparison when he returned to the United States and spoke to reporters about his trip, saying global leaders specifically thanked him for pushing back against Trump's call for a temporary ban on all Muslims coming to the U.S.
“It shouldn’t be my job...but when you see our beliefs, our values and conservatism’s principles being disfigured, you have to speak out for it if you’re a party leader,” Ryan said.
The 46-year-old Speaker is much better known for his work on the budget, entitlements and taxes that foreign policy. As chairman of the House Budget Committee and House Ways and Means Committee, Ryan rarely entered the fray of foreign policy.
An exception, and one that draws another contrast with Trump, is his longtime support for free-trade policies, which Trump argues has led to the outsourcing of U.S. jobs.
Trump has broken with Republican foreign policy orthodoxy in just about every area, calling for an end to oil shipments from Saudi Arabia, arguing the U.S. should consider leaving NATO and suggesting that Japan and South Korea go nuclear.
The suggestions have unnerved leaders around the globe, who have raised questions about Trump and his agenda to Ryan as well as President Obama. more
