Moving back from his previous stance on a bid for GOP House Speaker, Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) announced his willingness to run — but only if every caucus supports him, according to the New York Times.
Ryan made his announcement during a closed-door meeting where he outlined the conditions that would need to be met for him to run for the chamber's top position.
"I know this sounds conditional, because it is," Ryan told his GOP colleagues, according to a witness.
Immediately after the meeting, a spokesman for Ryan said he will only run if his colleagues accept him as a "unity candidate" who is backed by centrists and conservatives in the House, according to the Hill.
"Unless the speaker is a unifying figure across the conference, he or she will face the same challenges that have beset our current leadership," said spokesman Brendan Buck.
"If the members agree with his requests and share his vision, and if he is a unity candidate — with the endorsement of all the conference's major caucuses — then he will serve as speaker. He will be all in," continued Buck. "But if he is not a unifying figure for the conference, then he will not run and will be happy to continue serving as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee."
Buck insisted that this declaration isn't a formal announcement of his intent to run, but rather Ryan relaying what would be required for the House Speaker to be successful.
Regardless of his intention, the announcement came as a surprise to other House GOPers who had urged him to run for the position following House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy's (R-Calif.) sudden decision to drop out of the race, according to the Washington Post.
Ryan's speech appeared to strike a cord among his colleagues, with many already rallying around him.
"I'm out, and all in for Paul Ryan," said House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), who had previously launched a bid for the Speakership.
"I could very easily support Paul Ryan," said Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.).
Others weren't as supportive and said they needed to wait to see what happens.
"I think a lot of things have to play out first," said Rep. Matt Salmon (R-Ariz.).
Ryan, however, made one thing clear: House GOPers have until Friday to make their decision. In the meantime, he encouraged house members to meet and discuss his demands, which also include allowing time to spend with his wife and children.
Many warn the House GOP to take Ryan up on his offer as he has no obligation to help them.
"He doesn't have a moral obligation to get Republicans out of the rubble they've created for themselves," said former adviser to President George W. Bush Peter Wehner. "Asking for their goodwill is completely reasonable."
