As much as popular vote loser Donald Trump likes to tweet his feud with Mitch McConnell, it's the other Republican leader—House Speaker Paul Ryan—that he really seems to have it in for. First we saw reports that Steve Bannon—banned from the White House but still reportedly on Trump's cell phone speed-dial—is plotting with the Freedom Caucus maniacs to oust Ryan. Now AP is reporting that Trump is basically fed up with him.
After Trump was elected the two papered over their differences and even developed a rapport, talking frequently during health care negotiations earlier this year, as each understood they needed the other to advance individual and shared goals. But their phone calls have tapered off of late and Trump has expressed his frustration with GOP leaders on multiple fronts, culminating in the president's decision to ditch them and join hands with the Democrats instead.
Trump exulted in his newly bipartisan approach Thursday, declaring it "a great thing for our country," while Ryan mostly grinned and bore it.
At the Capitol on Wednesday, Ryan had deemed a three-month debt ceiling increase as "unworkable" and "ridiculous." Yet an hour later, Trump overruled his strong objections to side with the Democrats. […]
Though Trump has expressed particular anger at McConnell for the failed Senate health care vote and for not protecting him from the Russia investigation, he grudgingly has told associates that he is aware of the Senate leader's grip on power. He has spoken less glowingly about Ryan's own ability to lead due to the shorter House terms and the growing insurgency within the conservative Freedom Caucus.
The maniacs are egging this split on, pointing out that in their districts, Trump is a lot more popular than Ryan. Rep. Steve King (R-IA and crazy town) says his constituents keep telling him that "congressional Republicans need to get behind the president," and that that feeling "makes [Ryan] weaker." Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) chimes in with the fact that Ryan is "very unpopular" in his district, while Trump's approval is "pretty high."
With no respect from a big chunk of his own conference, and the public disdain of his president, Ryan's in a very weak position. There's really not anybody in the conference capable of taking him on for the speakership, so he's not threatened necessarily in that role. But he is very much limited in his ability to do much with it, when he can't get his conference behind him. So to actually govern, he's going to have to work with Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats. Just like always. Who knows, in a few years he could be hanging out and drinking on the links with John Boehner.