Paul Ryan pushes back on rumors that he will retire: Report was ‘irresponsible’

Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) on Tuesday pushed back on a report that he will retire in 2018, saying that he wants to put rumors to a rest.

“I am not going anywhere anytime soon, and lets just leave that thing at that,” Ryan told reporters after being asked if he would run for reelection to his congressional seat.

Ryan also slammed the Politico report as “speculative” and “irresponsible.”

{mosads}“I actually think that piece was very irresponsible,” he said. “It was a speculative piece and it was faulty speculation. I want to put it to rest.”

Rumors that Ryan would leave Congress after tax reform passes have been circulating Capitol Hill for months.

Politico reported last week that he was considering retiring after the 2018 midterm elections. The news outlet spoke with three dozen sources close to Ryan, including staffers, lobbyists and confidants, none of whom said they believed he would stay past 2018.

Ryan at a press conference last Thursday said that he was not leaving Congress “soon.”