Reporter denies Trump suggestion he paid Paul Ryan for critical interview

A Politico reporter denied an accusation from President Trump that former Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) may have been paid to do an interview in which he was critical of Trump.

Tim Alberta, Politico’s chief political correspondent, tweeted Friday that he had not paid Ryan for an interview for his upcoming book, excerpts of which made headlines on Thursday. In the book, Alberta characterized Ryan’s retirement as an “escape hatch” to get away from the president.

“I can confirm that I did not pay Paul Ryan for the interview. (He did, however, offer me a Miller Lite at 2pm.),” Alberta tweeted.

I can confirm that I did not pay Paul Ryan for the interview. (He did, however, offer me a Miller Lite at 2pm.) https://t.co/AdFw6N5Gg4

— Tim Alberta (@TimAlberta) July 12, 2019

Trump had suggested minutes before the tweet that Ryan may have been paid to disparage him in the interview. The president told journalists “maybe he gets paid for that, who knows?” at a press conference alongside outgoing Labor Secretary Alex Acosta.

President Trump: “For Paul Ryan to be complaining is pretty amazing. I remember a day in Wisconsin, a state that I won, where I stood up and made a speech and then I introduced, and then they booed him off the stage, 10,000 people.” pic.twitter.com/EGkuMDJOME

— The Hill (@thehill) July 12, 2019

According to excerpts published by The Washington Post this week, Ryan said in an interview with Alberta, for his book “American Carnage,” that Trump “didn’t know anything” about governing or being president before taking office.{mosads}

“I told myself I gotta have a relationship with this guy to help him get his mind right,” Ryan told Alberta. “Because, I’m telling you, he didn’t know anything about government … I wanted to scold him all the time.”

A spokesman for the former Speaker confirmed this week that the phrase “escape hatch” was not used by Ryan in the interview, noting that it was Alberta’s paraphrasing, while stating that Ryan had expressed a clear desire to retire to spend more time with his family.

“He’s been very clear that he retired because he wanted to spend more time being a father and a husband,” Ryan’s spokesman said.