'Quivering little boy' Paul Ryan scorched by MSNBC conservative for cowardly slinking away from 'Papa Trump'

Retiring Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) was ridiculed on MSNBC's "AM Joy" for being subservient to President Donald Trump.

Anchor Joy Reid played a clip of Ryan on Thursday, speaking in front of the White House, defending Trump for refusing to sign the bill that was passed by the House and Senate.

The federal government has since shut down, host Joy Reid explained.

The host played a second clip of Ryan trying to claim he does not listen to what Trump says, so he can't criticize his fellow Republican.

"This is the definition of cowardice," conservative Washington Post columnist Jen Rubin charged. "He does not have the nerve to say when Donald Trump says something outrageous."

"The president's words matter. Republicans used to say that," she reminded. "So the notion that what he says doesn't matter is bizarre."

"Besides which, it is not just what he says, it has been what he does," Rubin continued. "The child separation policy, running up the debt, pulling the rug out from under our allies, picking fights with you our allies, starting a trade war -- these are all the things that Republicans like Paul Ryan used to stand up for."

"But he is now a quivering little boy waiting for instructions from Papa Trump because he has no spine," she argued. "He has no ability to differentiate himself from Donald Trump."

"I think at this point he is so far from whatever he used to believe, he probably doesn't even know what he believes," Rubin added.

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