Speaker Ryan Dismisses Calls for Early Resignation

Pushing back on pressure to resign early as House Speaker, Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said he intends to remain in his role to "stay an intact leadership team" to "keep continuity" in the GOP's effort "to help keep this majority."

"We've all discussed this, and we think the smart thing to do is to actually stay an intact leadership team," Speaker Ryan told NBC's "Meet the Press."

"There's so much more I can do to keep continuity. We have a great leadership team. There's so much more I can do to help keep this majority."

Expressing confidence in what he considers an accomplished leadership team "executing" on its agenda, Speaker Ryan said his decision to step down was based in part on that confidence, and he added support for House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., as the next Speaker of the House.

"I think Kevin is the right guy to step up," Ryan told NBC's Chuck Todd. "One of the reasons why I was comfortable making this decision is because we have a very capable leadership team."

Ryan also concluded stepping down now would distract the GOP from getting their "jobs done" in a pivotal midterm election year.

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