The speaker is the leader of a large bloc of Republicans that is assertive, influential and intellectually important. Mr. Trump would be wise to take Mr. Ryan’s concerns seriously.
There’s a lot at stake. If Mr. Trump is dismissive of the congressional wing, it becomes more likely that a third-party conservative candidate will enter the race. Failing to find some common ground will make Mr. Trump’s path to victory in November against Hillary Clinton, the likely Democratic nominee, far more hazardous.
The GOP’s congressional wing includes more than members of Congress. It’s loosely organized and exists in an orbit around Mr. Ryan. He is the architect of its agenda and is pursuing it vigorously in the House. Party elites are on his side.
The business community, in the absence of a Republican president or sympathetic Democrats, has allied itself with GOP senators, House members, and their staffs for protection and aid during this administration. Alienated by President Obama, it had nowhere else to turn.
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