Washington(CNN) House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy broke with former Speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday, saying he was confident President Donald Trump would win re-election.
"I believe this President will win re-election," McCarthy said in response to a question from CNN at a weekly House GOP news conference. "I believe this President could run on many different items."
The California Republican's firm prediction on Trump's 2020 chances came in response to a remark from Ryan, who said Monday that he believed some Democrats could beat Trump, according to a report from Treasure Coast Newspapers.
"The person who defines that race is going to win the race," Ryan said. "If this is about Donald Trump and his personality, he isn't going to win it."
Asked about Ryan's statement, McCarthy said, "I disagree," and offered an extended defense of Trump's record on several fronts.
Ryan, of Wisconsin, left Congress at the end of its last session and handed over the top GOP role to McCarthy. Unlike Ryan, whose support for Trump was punctuated with occasional criticism, McCarthy has been a robust public advocate for the President, and on Tuesday morning he dismissed the idea that Trump's personal style could be problematic for his own re-election.
"I think you're pinpointing maybe one minute of a one-hour rally," McCarthy said of Trump's freewheeling speeches.
Ryan made his comments, as reported by Treasure Coast Newspapers, at a lecture in Vero Beach, Florida.