Trump Aides: Judge Jeanine Tweet Just 'Coincidental'

She called for Paul Ryan to step down
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 27, 2017 2:23 AM CDT
Trump Aides: Judge Jeanine Tweet 'Nothing to Do With Ryan'
"Paul Ryan needs to step down as speaker of the House," Pirro said in her opening remarks.   (AP Photo/Telepictures)

President Trump has a good relationship with Paul Ryan despite the American Health Care Act fiasco—and despite a tweet from Trump urging people to watch Judge Jeanine on Fox, who called for Ryan to quit, aides to both men say. On Saturday night, host Jeanine Pirro opened her show, Justice With Judge Jeanine, by saying: "Paul Ryan needs to step down as speaker of the House. He failed to deliver the votes on his health care bill." She added that the bill failure was "not on President Trump," NBC News reports. "No one expected a businessman to completely understand the nuances, the complicated ins and outs of Washington and its legislative process," Pirro said.

White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus said Sunday that the timing was "coincidental," and that Trump had only recommended the show "because he loves Judge Jeanine and he wanted to do Judge Jeanine a favor," CBS News reports. Priebus told Fox News Sunday that Trump thinks Ryan is doing a great job. A Ryan spokeswoman also said that Trump's tweet had nothing to do with the speaker. They talked for an hour Saturday, "and their relationship is stronger than ever right now," she said in a statement Sunday. Insiders tell the New York Times that Trump and Ryan discussed tax reform and their relationship seems intact, though some advisers want to take a hard look at Ryan's role in the bill's failure. (More Jeanine Pirro stories.)

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