“He was the future of the party, but it’s been a disappointing couple of years,” said William Kristol, a conservative commentator and Trump critic who has known Ryan for decades. “He was in a tough situation and didn’t make the best of it.”…

“People can criticize Paul if they want; people can always find a reason,” Zwick said. “The fact is, Paul leaves an enormous legacy as speaker for the country and the GOP. Not everyone has to love the guy, but if you peel back all the things he was able to get accomplished, there is a lot there.”

Yet the journey from beacon of the GOP’s future to emblem of its tumultuous present has Republicans — who, nearly to a person, say they like Ryan personally — grappling with whether he is responsible, alongside Trump, for the party’s drift.

Several longtime friends of Ryan declined to make public comments, citing their private disappointment in him and saying Ryan would be personally hurt if they shared their blunt assessments. “Paul doesn’t want to believe it’s all as bad as it is,” one said.