In a party predominated by intellectual lightweights, House Speaker Paul Ryan is considered to be one of the brightest of all Republicans, a man known as a “policy wonk,” especially on economic issues.
So it’s especially ironic that Ryan proved his own massive ignorance during an interview with The New York Times. Ryan was asked about raising the minimum wage and resorted to his usual boilerplate answer:
“For every wage you raise, you actually end up losing jobs. You end up destroying jobs.”
That led to a logical follow-up question: Did Ryan even know what the minimum wage in his home state of Wisconsin was? He didn’t. Despite being such a whiz with numbers and policy, Ryan was unable to recall that the current minimum wage in the Badger State is $7.25 an hour. Wonder how he’d like to try and support his family on that.
At the New York Times TimesTalk with @SpeakerRyan, he wasn't able to answer a very simple question:
"What's the minimum wage in Wisconsin?" pic.twitter.com/hzQLIIRsNo
— Nicholas Kitchel (@nicholaskitchel) September 7, 2017
It didn’t take long for Twitter to take the Speaker to task for his ignorance:
And people consider @SpeakerRyan the policy wonk. https://t.co/akV9AyCOct
— Soledad O'Brien (@soledadobrien) September 7, 2017
Easy to explain – people on minimum wage are not the people Ryan is working for.
— Mike Morris (@1MikeMorris) September 8, 2017
Blame Big Government. In Ryan's mythical Ayn Randian utopia there would be no minimum wage or beneficial workplace regulations of any sort.
— Michael Dominowski (@dominowski) September 8, 2017
"Policy wonk" my ass.
Paul Ryan couldn't answer a simple question about Wisconsin's minimum wage.
Let's expose this phony. https://t.co/xO9CjE8m7d— Eugene Kane (@eugene_kane) September 8, 2017
Raise your hand if you actually thought Paul Ryan knew wisconsin's minimum wage. I'll wait. pic.twitter.com/sWXKA6RBzd
— RIP frick&frack (@OliviaToke) September 8, 2017
If Ryan had his way, there wouldn't BE a minimum wage.
— Deborah H. Arrington (@DebarringtonH) September 8, 2017
Ryan needs to try living on minimum wage for a month. He would never forget it. Pretend to pay rent, utilities
— Gail (@gailcara_gail) September 8, 2017
Paul Ryan does not give a flying you-know-what about the minimum wage workers of Wisconsin or anywhere else. https://t.co/BfgdOkE2Ux
— Mimi Wells (@mimi_wells) September 8, 2017
Featured Image Via Yahoo News