DEC. 18, 2015 – House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) revealed he has not had a one-on-one meeting with President Obama since ascending to leadership seven weeks ago, telling “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd in an exclusive interview: “We’re going to have one heck of a contrast in 2016.”
“We’ve talked on the phone a couple of times. And he did today invite me over to have a meal with him after the first of the year,” said Ryan. “We don’t agree on much. We see things very differently. I think what we will probably try to do is where we can get things done, where we can find common ground without compromising principles, get those things done.”
A transcript of this interview excerpt is below, and video is available here: http://nbcnews.to/1lXHojZ.
Tune in to “Meet the Press” Sunday for more from the exclusive interview as well as an interview with presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and a Sunday exclusive interview with Clinton Campaign Chairman John Podesta.
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MANDATORY CREDIT: NBC NEWS’ “MEET THE PRESS” / CHUCK TODD
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CHUCK TODD:
Let me move on to your relationship with President Obama. You’ve been in seven weeks. Correct me if I’m wrong, I don’t think you’ve had a face-to-face meeting. How is it the speaker of the House and the President of the United States –
SPEAKER PAUL RYAN:
I saw him at the Christmas party.
CHUCK TODD:
Okay.
SPEAKER PAUL RYAN:
Yeah, I saw him –
CHUCK TODD:
But has there been a one-on-one, two guys leading the country?
SPEAKER PAUL RYAN:
No. We’ve talked on the phone a couple of times. He did today invite me over to have a meal with him after the first of the year.
CHUCK TODD:
Okay. What do you hope to accomplish with him in your – in a one-on-one meeting?
SPEAKER PAUL RYAN:
We don’t agree on much. We see things very differently. I think what we will probably try to do is where we can get things done, where we can find common ground without compromising principles, get those things done. Make sure that government works. But we’re going to have one heck of a contrast in 2016.
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MEET THE PRESS
“Meet the Press” is where newsmakers come to make news — setting the political agenda and spotlighting the impact Washington decision-making has on people across the country. “Meet the Press” reaches more than 3 million people every Sunday through its broadcasts and millions more through NBCNews.com, the #TweetThePress interview series, Flipboard, and social media platforms. Chuck Todd is the moderator of “Meet the Press” and John Reiss is the executive producer.
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