In his most public condemnation of Trump, Ryan accused him of co-opting Reagan’s movement with the “trap of identity politics” and said the party could end up failing if it remains focused on “resentments” rather than policy.

“It will be because we mistake reactionary skirmishes and the cultural wars with a coherent agenda. It will be because we gave too much allegiance to one passing political figure and weren’t loyal enough to our principles,” Ryan said.

He credited Trump for boosting the pre-pandemic economy by supporting the 2017 tax cuts for corporations and individuals, but only because as president he listened to people like Ryan in their push for a Reagan-style approach to taxes.

“It was the populism of President Trump in action tethered to conservative principles,” he said.

Ryan name-checked four Republican freshmen with diverse backgrounds as the party’s future: Reps. Tony Gonzales of Texas, Young Kim of California, Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida and Victoria Spartz of Indiana. All four voted to certify Biden’s victory after Congress reassembled following the Jan. 6 riot.