Paul Ryan Backs Trey Gowdy’s Statement That He See “No Evidence” Of Trump’s ‘Spygate’ Claim

Paul Ryan is clearly no longer hesitant to criticize President Donald Trump now that he is approaching the end of his term on Capitol Hill.

Paul Ryan Defends Trey Gowdy’s “Spygate” Comments

On Wednesday, the House Speaker said he has seen “no evidence” to support Trump’s theory that the FBI planted an informant in his campaign during the 2016 election, a claim the president called “Spygate.”

“Obviously, the answer is he shouldn’t, and no one is above the law,” said Ryan.

The House Speaker’s comments backed those made by fellow Republican Trey Gowdy, a South Carolina congressman and the chairman of the House Oversight Committee.

“I am even more convinced that the FBI did exactly what my fellow citizens would want them to do,” Gowdy said in a recent Fox News interview. “It looks to me like the FBI was doing what President Trump said I want you to do — find it out.”

Ryan called Gowdy’s dismissal of Trump’s “spygate” claim “accurate.” Gowdy announced earlier this year that he will not seek re-election in November.

Ryan and Gowdy’s remarks have already angered many of Trump’s closest allies in Congress. They weren’t the only two Republican officials to speak out against the president, however.

This week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell stated that Trump shouldn’t pardon himself, a right the president claimed he had as a way to rid himself of special counsel Robert Mueller‘s Russia investigation.

Amidst all this, Ryan is also attempting to unite GOP hard-line conservatives and moderates in the House over a decision on immigration, specifically regarding the Barack Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which expired on March 5. The end of this program leaves many “Dreamers” — young immigrants who arrived to the U.S. as children — hanging in the balance as they face potential deportation.

Ryan and his fellow conservatives have been attempting to stop moderate Republicans from obtaining the 218 signatures required to get a “discharge petition,” a document whose primary aim is to bring an immigration vote to the House floor as soon as possible.