Story highlights House Speaker Paul Ryan faced Paul Nehlen in Wisconsin's primary

Nehlen has criticized Ryan's stance on trade

(CNN) House Speaker Paul Ryan easily won the Republican primary in Wisconsin's 1st congressional district, defeating challenger Paul Nehlen, CNN has projected.

"There is a lot of anger that Washington just isn't working," Ryan said in his victory speech. "In times as uncertain as these, it is easy to resort to division. It's simple to prey on people's fears. That stuff sells, but it doesn't stick. It doesn't last. Most of all, it doesn't work."

He added: "We can't afford another four years like the Obama years, and let it be very, very clear, that is exactly what Hillary Clinton and her party are offering."

Just a week before the primary, GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump publicly thanked Nehlen for his support and told The Washington Post he wasn't ready to endorse Ryan -- a move that came as payback for Ryan's slow-walked Trump endorsement in the spring.

Trump reversed course and announced his support for Ryan at a rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Friday night. But it only came after he'd given major air time and attention to the little-known Nehlen.

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