Former House Speaker Paul Ryan said “entertainers” have become successful at gaining traction in Congress, a departure from the “meritocracy” that he felt was in place for much of his tenure in office.
Ryan made the remarks during a conversation on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” last Thursday, adding that the drive to legislate is no longer the goal of some of the most high-profile members.
“In the old days, like 10 years ago, if you wanted to do really well in Congress, if you wanted to succeed, you climbed a meritocracy. The measurement of success was policy and persuasion,” he told host Becky Quick.
He continued: “That’s not necessarily what motivates people anymore. There’s a lot of entertainers in Congress from both parties. We have an entertainment wing of the Republican and Democratic parties.”
Ryan did not cite specific names during the interview, but while serving as speaker from 2015 to 2019, the ultraconservative Freedom Caucus became a driving force in seeking to push House GOP leadership to the right.
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