Speaker Paul Ryan Paul Davis RyanKenosha will be a good bellwether in 2020 At indoor rally, Pence says election runs through Wisconsin Juan Williams: Breaking down the debates MORE (R-Wis.) said Wednesday he had absolutely “no regrets” for having taken on his leadership role as he announced his retirement from Congress.

“You realize that you hold the office for just a small part of our history, so you better make the most of it. It’s fleeting,” Ryan told reporters after informing his GOP colleagues he would not seek reelection after nearly two decades in Congress.

“And that inspires you to do big things. And on that score, I think we achieved a heck of a lot. ... It’s been a wild ride but it’s been a journey well worth taking to be able to do my part to strengthen the American idea,” he added.

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Ryan insisted the possibility that Republicans will lose their House majority this fall was not a factor in his retirement. Asked if a potential Democratic wave in November had an impact on his decision, Ryan replied: “No, none whatsoever.”

And he brushed off a question about whether his retirement could harm the GOP’s chances to hold the majority. “I really don’t think a person’s race for Congress will hinge on whether Paul Ryan is Speaker or not,” he said.

The 48-year-old Ryan also said he did not believe it would be a problem for him to serve out his term, even as a leadership race intensifies to replace him.

“I have great confidence in this leadership team,” Ryan said of a group that includes two lawmakers — Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy Kevin Owen McCarthyMcCarthy's Democratic challenger to launch first TV ad highlighting Air Force service as single mother Trump asked Chamber of Commerce to reconsider Democratic endorsements: report The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - White House moves closer to Pelosi on virus relief bill MORE (Calif.) and Majority Whip Steve Scalise Stephen (Steve) Joseph ScaliseHouse GOP slated to unveil agenda ahead of election House panel details 'serious' concerns around Florida, Georgia, Texas, Wisconsin elections Scalise hit with ethics complaint over doctored Barkan video MORE (La.), who are likely to battle for the top GOP position in the House.

“That election is in November so it’s not something we have to sweat right now,” said Ryan. He said he had thoughts about who should replace him, but said that it was not the right time to discuss those ideas.

Ryan said the drastic way President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE has changed Washington also played no role in his decision to leave.“I’m grateful for the president for giving us the opportunity to do big things, to get this country on the right track,” Ryan said.

Ryan and then-candidate Trump clashed repeatedly during the 2016 presidential campaign, but the two men patched things up after Trump won the White House.

During Wednesday’s news conference, Ryan downplayed concerns that Trump might fire Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein Rod RosensteinDOJ kept investigators from completing probe of Trump ties to Russia: report Five takeaways from final Senate Intel Russia report FBI officials hid copies of Russia probe documents fearing Trump interference: book MORE or special counsel Robert Mueller Robert (Bob) MuellerCNN's Toobin warns McCabe is in 'perilous condition' with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill's 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE due to frustration over the Russia investigation. Ryan has “assurances” from the White House that Trump would not go down that path, he said.

“I think they should be allowed to do their jobs. We have a rule of law in this country, and that's a principle we all uphold,” Ryan said of Rosenstein and Mueller. “I have no reason to believe that [Trump would fire them]. I have assurances that he’s not, because I've been talking to people in the White House about it.”

Ryan said the reason he was leaving Washington was to spend more time with his family. Being Speaker, he said, was one of the top two greatest honors of his life. The other was being a husband and father of three children.

Ryan’s father died when the Ryan was just 16 years old. If he didn’t leave Congress now, Ryan said, his three teenagers would only know him as a “weekend dad.”

“I have been member of Congress for almost two decades; this is my 20th year in Congress,” said Ryan, who served as Mitt Romney Willard (Mitt) Mitt RomneySenate GOP aims to confirm Trump court pick by Oct. 29: report The Hill's Campaign Report: GOP set to ask SCOTUS to limit mail-in voting Senate GOP sees early Supreme Court vote as political booster shot MORE’s running mate on the 2012 GOP ticket. “My kids were not even born when I was first elected … Now, all three of our kids are teenagers. … What I realize is if I am here for one more term, my kids will only have ever known me as weekend dad. I just can’t let that happen.”

Ryan, who previously served as chairman of the Ways and Means and Budget committees, said his greatest accomplishments as Speaker were passing the massive GOP tax cuts package last December and an $1.3 trillion omnibus package that helped address the “military readiness crisis.”

“These I see as lasting victories that will make our country prosperous and more secure for decades to come,” he said.