Paul Ryan also threw cold water on the notion that he could hypothetically become a presidential candidate this fall. | AP Photo Ryan blasts FBI on Clinton document dump

Speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday morning blasted the FBI for releasing documents from its probe of Hillary Clinton’s email arrangement just as people were skipping town for a long Labor Day weekend last Friday.

On an appearance on WRJN Wisconsin radio, host Glenn Klein asked Ryan about the FBI’s Friday document dump, suggesting the FBI has become “an arm of the Clinton campaign.” Ryan concurred with his outrage.


“Yeah… I can’t believe that they would do what is such a patently political move,” the Wisconsin Republican said. “It makes them look like political operatives instead of law enforcement officers.”

Ryan also threw cold water on the notion that he could become a presidential candidate this fall should independent presidential candidate Gary Johnson secure enough support to block either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump from receiving enough electoral votes to take the White House. When Klein inquired if he’s “ready to change titles” to step in for the win, Ryan told him “it doesn’t work like that,” explaining that in a run-off, people would have to pick the top three people on the ballot — and he's not one of them.

“I’m not planning to do this,” he said. “You have to select from the top three vote-getters…. You can’t just pick George Bush or anybody or a person out of the blue but a person who actually got electoral votes.”

The speaker also blasted the Obama Administration for giving Iran $400 million at the same time Iran turned over four American prisoners. Republicans say it looks like ransom, which goes against the U.S. tradition of refusing cash-for-hostages swaps. The House later this month plans to vote on legislation to explicitly bar the executive branch from exchanging money for hostages.

“The last impression of America you want is that we will pay cash for hostage, because all you do is encourage more hostage taking,” Ryan said.