On this weekend’s broadcast of “Fox News Sunday,” while discussing President Donald Trump tweeting that everyone should watch Fox News Channel’s “Justice,” during which host Jeanine Pirro called on House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) to step down as speaker, White House chief of staff Reince Priebus called it “coincidental” and said Trump did not want Ryan to step down.
Partial transport as follows:
WALLACE: Wallace: Does the president want Paul Ryan to resign as Speaker?”
PRIEBUS: First of all, I will go on record, we do love Judge Jeanine, and so does the president. I think it was more coincidental.
WALLACE: Come on.
PRIEBUS: I did not talk to the president about the tweet. I’m just telling the truth. There is no preplanning here.
WALLACE: Why would he say watch her and then that’s the first thing out of her mouth?
PRIEBUS: He loves Judge Jeanine and he wants to do Judge Jeanine a favor.
WALLACE: Does he want Paul Ryan to step down?
PRIEBUS: No he doesn’t. he believes what he said in the Oval Office on Friday. He doesn’t blame Paul Ryan. He thought Paul Ryan worked really hard, enjoys his relationship with Paul Ryan, thinks that Paul Ryan is a great Speaker of the House. None of that has changed. This is more of a personal relationship, the president helping out a friend.
WALLACE: I assume the friend was Judge Jeanine, not Paul Ryan.
PRIEBUS: Both of them are. In regards to the tweet, yes.
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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