Even Breitbart Is Going After the GOP — and This Leaked Audio Clip of Paul Ryan Is Proof

The House Republicans' proposal to replace the Affordable Care Act was ill-received by many. The ultraconservative website Breitbart has led the conservative opposition of the proposed replacement, and it has seemingly launched an assault to discredit the bill by attacking House Majority Leader Paul Ryan. On March 13, Breitbart published an audio clip of Ryan refusing to defend Donald Trump in October 2016.

In the audio clip, Ryan told other House Republican members on a conference call that he would not defend Trump after the now-infamous Access Hollywood video leaked in October. The call was widely publicized at the time when it occurred, but audio has not been available until now.

"There are basically two things that I want to make really clear, as for myself as your Speaker," Ryan said. "I am not going to defend Donald Trump. Not now, not in the future." Ryan further explained how he would not support the then-nominee. "As you probably heard, I disinvited him from my first congressional district GOP event this weekend, a thing I do every year," Ryan said on the call. "And I'm not going to be campaigning with him over the next 30 days."

It's unclear who provided the audio to Breitbart or whether the Speaker knew he was being recorded, but Ryan evidently did follow through on his promise because he did not campaign for Trump after his lewd remarks were made public.

The publication, which gives a platform to white nationalist ideology, is ostensibly defying its former editor — White House chief strategist Steve Bannon — by releasing the audio. But it's not exactly surprising given that it also criticized the American Health Care Act as an inadequate replacement of Obamacare. In fact, the bill is viewed as an augmented version of Obamacare since it still contains the "entitlements" that conservatives revile.

Other conservative party members and organizations have expressed their criticism of the bill as well. House Representative Justin Amash from Michigan, who is also a member of the Freedom Caucus, described the bill as "Obamacare 2.0." Another Freedom Caucus member, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, told Fox & Friends that the bill did not repeal Obamacare as they had hoped it would. "This bill doesn't unite Republicans. This bill doesn't bring down the cost of premiums," Jordan said. "There's a reason every major conservative organization in the country is opposed to this legislation."

According to reports, the fringe right-wing website is already at odds with Bannon and the White House over immigration, so this leaked audio will likely add more fuel to fire.