Don't panic: House Speaker Paul Ryan tries to 'put people's minds at ease' when told some Americans are 'terrified' about President-elect Trump
- House Speaker Paul Ryan appeared on Sunday news shows for the first time since Donald Trump's stunning election victory
- Says U.S. is still a 'pluralistic society' after unrest following Trump's election over Hillary Clinton
- Says 'not planning' a deportation force
- Calls Obamacare abortion coverage a 'nitty gritty detail' that hasn't been decided yet
- Claims Trump has a 'mandate' because he beat Hillary Clinton even though she got more overall votes
House Speaker Paul Ryan tried to reassure elements of the public who are flipping out over the election of President-elect Donald Trump, stressing repeatedly that they should put their minds 'at ease.'
Ryan appeared on Sunday news shows for the first time since Trump's stunning electoral victory over Hillary Clinton – while Republicans maintained control of the House and Senate, giving them the ability to push his agenda through.
Asked on CNN's 'State of the Union' about angry confrontations between pro and anti-Trump forces in the streets, and those who might be 'terrified' of living under a President Trump, Ryan said he wanted to 'put their minds at ease. We’re going to get to work at solving the country's big problems.'
'People should really put their minds at ease. We are pluralistic. We are inclusive,' he said.
Asked about some hateful graffiti and other intimidation that has sprung up since the election, Ryan said: 'That’s terrible. That’s awful ... People who espouse those views … we don’t want them in our party even if they’re thinking about it.'
House Speaker Paul Ryan tried to put people's minds 'at ease' following the election of Donald Trump
Ryan got asked about Trump's campaign promise to establish a border 'deportation force' that could send millions of illegal immigrants living here to their home countries.
'I think we should put people's minds at ease that is not what our focus is,' Ryan said. 'Our focus is securing the border.'
'We are not planning on erecting a deportation force. Donald Trump is not planning on that,' he said.
On Obamacare, which Trump said in a recent interview that he wants to 'amend,' repeal, and replace, Ryan, like Trump, said a pair of popular aspects could remain.
'We need to have a solution for people with preexisting conditions,' referencing a provision that protects people from getting excluded from private plans if they are sick.
But for details, he referenced to a plan on the website of the House Republican Conference – an indication of how the incoming Trump administration will rely on work set in motion by congressional lawmakers.
Ryan got asked by CNN host Jake Tapper about some Americans who are 'terrified' of Trump taking over the government
Ryan met with Trump in his Capitol office last week – and pointed out Trump's hard-to-miss luxury hotel in the skyline
Asked about a specific provision in Obamacare that allows coverage of abortion and birth control, he said: 'I'm not going to get into tall the details of these nitty gritty things.'
Pressed, he said: 'You’re asking me details about legislation that hasn’t been written yet.'
'I think he's very much of a mindset that there is a need to unify this country, to heal the division in this country, but also there's a mandate, and a desire and a commitment to fix the problems as we laid the solutions out,' he said.
Ryan also got asked whether he had concerns about Stephen Bannon taking over as chief of staff or filling another senior post, told that conservatives and Republicans have criticized Breitbart news for mainstreaming 'white supremacist views, anti-semitic views, racist views.'
'I’ve never met the guy. I don’t know Steve Bannon, so I have no concerns. I trust Donald’s judgement,' Ryan said. He said Trump would pick who he thinks best serves him.
Ryan said that he was 'very encouraged' his friend and 'great conservative' Vice President-elect Mike Pence was running Trump's transition team.
Ryan clashed with Trump at times during the campaign. He said Trump's comments about a judge with Mexican-American judge fit the definition of 'textbook racism,' and Trump was uninvited from a late election rally by Ryan.
'I'm not going to relitigate the past,' Ryan said, when asked about the Judge Gonzalo Curiel, who is overseeing a Trump University class action lawsuit.
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