Paul Ryan: follow consciences on Trump

In the end, you gotta pick and cast your vote - which one? It's a dilemma for democracy: free to choose, but not really free to choose as you're limited, stuck with someone like Trump - helluva freedom. It's complicated even for smart guy like Paul Ryan.

Ryan says Republicans should follow their consciences on Trump

In the tradition of Pope Francis and Jiminy Cricket, House speaker Paul Ryan has encouraged Republicans to follow their individual consciences in supporting Donald Trump – or not.

In an interview set to air Sunday, here excerpted, Ryan tells NBC News’ Chuck Todd that “the last thing I would do is tell anybody to do something that’s contrary to their conscience.”

“Always let your conscience be your guide.” Photograph: Allstar/DISNEY

“I get that this is a very strange situation,” Ryan said:

He’s a very unique nominee. But I feel as a responsibility institutionally as the Speaker of the House that I should not be leading some chasm in the middle of our party.

“We have been called to form consciences, not to replace them.” Photograph: Giorgio Onorati/EPA

Here’s the “conscience” exchange:

CHUCK: Do you think it is that members in the House Republican Conference follow your conscience? If you don’t want to support him, don’t. Do it --
PAUL RYAN:
Oh, absolutely. The last thing I would do is tell anybody to do something that’s contrary to their conscience. Of course I wouldn’t do that. Look, believe me, Chuck. I get that this is a very strange situation. He’s a very unique nominee. But I feel as a responsibility institutionally as the Speaker of the House that I should not be leading some chasm in the middle of our party. Because you know what I know that’ll do? That’ll definitely knock us out of the White House.

“The last thing I would do is tell anybody to do something that’s contrary to their conscience.” Photograph: Evy Mages/Getty Images

See video and more from the NBC interview here.

In April, Pope Francis instructed Catholics grappling with questions about issues such as same-sex marriage and contraception to be guided by their individual consciences.

In a separate interview with the Huffington Post Thursday, Ryan told The Huffington Post that Trump does not have “a blank check” with his endorsement. “I don’t know what that line is,” Ryan said, “but right now, I want to make sure that we win the White House.”

Updated at 11.38am EDT

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