 A new video from House Speaker Paul Ryan's office is fueling speculation that the Wisconsin Republican could wind up with the GOP presidential nomination at a contested convention, despite his repeated assurances that he is not interested in running for president. The video, titled “Politics These Days,” is part of Ryan’s agenda for House Republicans, which he is calling “#ConfidentAmerica,” according to the Speaker’s website. "What really bothers me the most about politics these days is the notion of identity politics -- that we're going to win this election by dividing people, rather than inspiring people," Ryan, who has periodically commented on the presidential race out of concerns about damage to the GOP brand, says in the video.
– Paul Ryan is making not running for president look a lot like running for president. Time reports the speaker of the House released a 45-second video Friday that "plays like a campaign ad." In the video, titled Politics These Days, Ryan gives a speech lamenting that the GOP—and politics in general—is currently trying to divide people rather than unite them, according to ABC News. Rumors that Ryan will seek the Republican presidential nomination at a contested convention have dogged him for months, and Time states "this quasi-campaign video from Ryan will only add fuel to the fire." Ryan says he isn't interested in being the Republican nominee, even going so far as to threaten legal action against a group that sought to get him the nomination. "I think you need to run for president if you’re going to be president," Time quotes him as saying. He says even if offered, he won't accept the nomination at the convention. But he's said something similar in the past. A month before he was sworn in as speaker of the House, he said he wouldn't even be a candidate for the position. Ryan, one of the most popular figures the party has, will also chair the Republican National Convention.