Rep. Tim Ryan said Wednesday that he agreed with President Trump’s calls for the U.S. to take a firmer stance on Iran in his speech at the United Nations.
“I think what he said about Iran is true. I think we have to have a firmer position on Iran. They are funding terrorism all through the Middle East so I liked that aspect of the speech, but overall you’ve got to do this all together,” Mr. Ryan, Ohio Democrat, said on MSNBC.
Mr. Ryan said Mr. Trump didn’t do enough in his speech on Tuesday to reach out to other nations in the issues he addressed, like North Korea, and focused too much on America’s role.
“These aren’t American problems, these are global problems, and I don’t think he’s being the kind of quarterback the president needs to be,” Mr. Ryan said.
But when it comes to issues here at home, like tax reform, Mr. Ryan said he’s willing to work with the president as long as his plan benefits working-class people.
“If they stay away from the traditional supply-side economics, I think there will be a lot of Democrats that will sit down and say, hey, is this going to benefit working-class people in Akron, Ohio, in Youngstown, Ohio?” Mr. Ryan said.
The Ohio Democrat challenged House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi for her position after the election last year, arguing she was out of touch with voters in the middle of the country where Democrats performed especially poorly. He lost the bid, but has tried to highlight the problems in the Democratic Party among voters in places like his home state.
• Sally Persons can be reached at spersons@washingtontimes.com.
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