'Paul Ryan is proof that you don’t need a spine to do P90X:' Speaker reads 'mean' tweets

Deirdre Shesgreen | USA TODAY

WASHINGTON – House Speaker Paul Ryan took a break from his GOP leadership duties on Wednesday to read a series of nasty (and funny) tweets aimed at his political character, his workout routine and the fate of his animal-infested SUV.

“Woodchucks eating Paul Ryan’s car has given me hope for the future,” says one missive directed at the Wisconsin Republican, who recently recounted that his Suburban was no longer driveable because a family of woodchucks had feasted on the vehicle while it was stored at his mother’s home.

“Paul Ryan is proof that you don’t need a spine to do P90X,” Ryan says, reading another tweet that refers to a workout routine the famously fit Ryan does.

Ryan’s staff made the video ahead of a speech the speaker gave last Wednesday morning to congressional interns. His remarks focused on “rediscovering our common humanity as a way to restore civil discourse and strengthen civil society.”

Social media has clearly not helped in that endeavor.

“Paul Ryan’s the kind of guy who crashes your kegger, drinks all your beer, and then calls the cops to make his noise complaint,” Ryan says, reading another tweet in the video.

In his remarks to the interns, Ryan lamented the rise of “tribalism” and “identity politics.” He said social media has amplified those trends, giving rise to an industry that makes money off “fear and resentment.”

The next generation, he said, faces significant challenges in trying to return to an era of substantive political debates, without resorting to personal attacks. He took a few questions from the interns, including one about how he deals with the mean tweets.

“I don’t pay attention to it,” Ryan said. “I know who I am. I know what I believe.”

He told the audience they could “make a huge difference in this country at a young age,” and said he hoped to leave them inspired for a career in politics.

Other politicians have done mean-tweet videos, including former House Speaker John Boehner and Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi.