Trump is the only Republican who will lose to Biden in 2024, Paul Ryan says

Former House Speaker Paul Ryan said Wednesday helium believes the 2024 Republican statesmanlike nominee volition "for sure" beryllium capable to unseat President Joe Biden — unless that idiosyncratic is erstwhile President Donald Trump.

"It's a catastrophe if we nominate Trump," Ryan, who besides serves connected the committee of Fox News' genitor company, told CNBC's "Squawk Box."

Ryan had been asked astir remarks from different GOP Trump critic, erstwhile Rep. Liz Cheney, who said astatine a conference Tuesday that Democrats are "playing with fire" if they presume they tin bushed Trump successful the wide election.

Cheney is close that Trump "could win," Ryan said, but "I deliberation we suffer with him."

"I deliberation we're overmuch much apt to suffer — we haven't won thing with him since helium archetypal won successful '16," Ryan said of Trump. "We mislaid the House successful '18, the presidency successful '20, the Senate successful '20, and we could person won the Senate successful 2022 but for him."

"I'm for anybody not named Trump," helium added, "because I deliberation we bushed Biden for definite if we nominate a Republican not named Trump."

Ryan besides brushed speech a notation to his presumption arsenic a Fox Corp committee subordinate erstwhile helium was jokingly asked if Chairman Rupert Murdoch would archer him who to endorse successful 2024.

Ryan had travel nether pressure for staying connected that committee arsenic tribunal documents successful a high-profile defamation lawsuit revealed Fox hosts privately expressed doubt astir Trump's mendacious election-fraud claims that were aired connected the network. That defamation lawsuit settled for much than $787 million.

"I'm going to endorse whoever I want," Ryan said successful response.

A spokesperson for Trump's run did not instantly respond to CNBC's petition for comment.

Ryan had an at-times testy governmental narration with Trump, and since leaving Congress successful 2019 has openly criticized the erstwhile president. He acknowledged that helium has been making the lawsuit against Trump "for a agelong time," and that Trump's basal "doesn't similar a idiosyncratic similar me."

Indeed, Ryan had reportedly sworn disconnected campaigning for Trump successful the last weeks of the 2016 election, erstwhile his run appeared to beryllium imperiled pursuing the merchandise of the now-infamous "Access Hollywood" portion of Trump bragging astir groping women.

Now a spouse astatine backstage equity steadfast Solamere Capital, Ryan connected Wednesday slammed Biden's economical grounds and blamed him for precocious U.S. ostentation up of what the White House said volition beryllium a major speech connected the economy.

The large spending measure that Biden championed aboriginal successful his word arsenic a indispensable measurement to revitalize a Covid-damaged system "hit the state pedal connected inflation," Ryan said. "Clearly each this spending wounded inflation."

Ryan said helium expected "nice rhetoric" and "well-massaged statistics" from Biden's upcoming speech. "But it's going to beryllium conscionable different concern argumentation play. And this is the worldly that gets you mislaid decades," helium said.

"If you privation to tally capitalism done authorities similar China does, I don't deliberation we're going to triumph that bidding war," helium added.

The White House did not instantly respond to CNBC's petition for comment.

Ryan besides took a changeable astatine some Trump and Biden for "promising not to betterment entitlements."

"We person these leaders who are saying, 'I americium not going to bash thing to halt the indebtedness situation successful this country,'" Ryan said, arguing that the president is "courting catastrophe successful that front."

Trump, the wide frontrunner successful the Republican superior field, has repeatedly vowed not to chopped Social Security oregon Medicare, aligning him much intimately with Biden than immoderate of his GOP competitors. Trump and Biden person some attacked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Trump's apical Republican rival, implicit his past enactment for Ryan's plans to restructure programs, adjacent though DeSantis has backed disconnected that stance.

After it was pointed retired that Trump holds a large polling pb implicit the field, Ryan argued connected CNBC that helium and Biden "have a symbiotic narration with each other."

"They marque the champion lawsuit for each other's candidacies, and it's a full catastrophe for our country," helium said.

He added: "I judge strongly, if we nominate a Republican not named Donald Trump, we triumph this White House."