INSKEEP : Mr. Speaker, I want to ask you about sexual harassment.
You said that public officials should be held
to a very high standard.
Can you define that for me a little bit?
RYAN: Well, that's a good question.
I think the standard you want is...
I want my daughter to grow up in a country--
she's 15 years old--
where she is empowered and respected
wherever she goes
and wherever she works, in whatever she does.
And I think nowhere should that be more obvious
and apparent than working here in Capitol Hill.
So I think here in Congress, we should set ourselves to standards that we expect of other people,
and we should set high standards for
ourselves so that we can be role models
and set examples, and clearly people have been falling short of that.
And I think we always have to endeavor to do a better job on that.
INSKEEP : You, quite early, called for Roy Moore, the Alabama Senate candidate,
to withdraw from the race after a number of accusations were made against him.
RYAN: That's because I believe those allegations are credible.
INSKEEP : What is the difference between his case and
the case of President Trump,
who was also accused by a number of women and also denied it?
RYAN: I think the Roy Moore... I don't know if...
I'm focused on Congress.
Roy Moore is trying to come to Congress.
My job here as Speaker of the House is to
help make sure that Congress is an institution
that we're proud of, and that's what I'm focused on.
He's running for Congress, and I think the
allegations against him were very, very credible.
INSKEEP : Is there a difference between those two cases?
RYAN: I don't know the answer that.
I haven't spent my time reviewing the difference in these two cases.
INSKEEP : Let me ask another question about the President if I might, Mr. Speaker.
Because you talked about holding people to a high standard,
Is the president meeting that high standard?
RYAN: Look, it's no secret that he and I have had our differences of opinions.
It's no secret that I've shared my opinions
about his tweets and the rest.
But what I see is a president who is fighting
for the things that I'm fighting for.
I see a president who's fighting for an agenda
that will make a positive difference in people's lives.
Is this president unconventional?
No two ways about it.
He's very unconventional.
But if we make good by the American people by actually improving their lives
and fixing problems and finding solutions that are bothering them?
That's a good thing. That's what we're working toward.
Is he unconventional? Yes.
Would I do things differently? Of course.
But he's-- he's himself, and I'm myself. And he got elected.
And you know what?
My duty as a constitutional officer, as a
representative of Congress is to make government work
and make sure that this branch of government works for the other branch of government,
so we can fix people's problems and that's what my focus is.
INSKEEP: Has he become, in recent days and weeks, more unconventional, to use your words?
RYAN: Not really. I think he's been like this.
I think he's been fairly unconventional from day one.
That's his style.
INSKEEP: Mr. Speaker, thanks very much.
RYAN: Great. Thank you, Steve.
