Paul Ryan has put distance between himself and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump a little more than once a week since endorsing him two months ago.
The Washington Post examines the relationship between the House speaker and Trump, who officially earned a spot on the presidential ballot at the party's convention last month.
The most recent incident happened this week, when Trump appeared to joke about someone assassinating Democrat Hillary Clinton. Ryan responded Wednesday by saying, "I've been a little busy. It sounds like a joke gone bad. You should never joke about that. I hope he clears it up quickly."
Ryan's public scolding of the real estate mogul has gone on for weeks as Trump makes controversial statements that ruffle feathers in both parties. The Post counts eight such instances, the first of which occurred on June 3 — the day after Ryan's endorsement — following Trump's comments about a Mexican-American judge presiding over the Trump University lawsuit.
Other examples include Ryan's rebukes to Trump's comments on a Muslim ban in the United States, Trump's retweeting of a purported Star of David first made by someone who had posted Nazi content on the social media network, and Trump's remarks about not necessarily helping NATO countries when they need it.
On Thursday, Trump defended his claim that he feels President Barack Obama founded the Islamic State (ISIS), saying he is the "Most Valuable Player" for the terror group.
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