Did Paul Ryan Just Give RNC Delegates the Green Light to Revolt Against Trump?

With his numbers continuing to slide and the Democrats ready to launch massive ad buys against the presumptive Republican nominee, Donald Trump is quickly becoming his party’s greatest liability. If he does become the party’s nominee, all signs point to a devastating loss in November — one that could threaten Republican control of Congress.

These fears combined with Trump’s never-ending gaffes and troubling rhetoric has created resistance among the GOP delegates. Reports indicate that hundreds of delegates are planning open revolt against Trump at the convention in Cleveland. High profile Republicans have begun to back away from Trump. Even Paul Ryan, who hesitantly endorsed Trump, appeared to give the green light to delegates looking to revolt.

“They write the rules, they make the decisions,” the Speaker of the House told Meet the Press. “All I want to make sure is to make sure it is done above board, clearly, honestly and by the rules.”

Related: Steve Deace Says Delegates are Talking, Predicts Revolt at RNC

Ryan, Congress’s highest-ranking Republican, will serve as chairman of the convention next month. His remarks are being seen by many as a quiet wink and nod to renegade delegates. His insistence that delegates make the rules is referring the Rules Committee which decides the nominating rules before each convention. Delegates could choose to unbind or release bound delegates on the first ballot — meaning delegates pledged to Trump would not be required to vote for him.

Speaker Ryan emphasized that he will not be telling delegates what to do.

“The last thing I would do is tell anybody to do something that’s contrary to their conscience,” he said. “I get that this is a very strange situation. He’s a very unique nominee.”

A very unique nominee with very foreboding polling numbers. If Trump’s bombastic nature and willingness to sacrifice mainstays of the GOP platform aren’t enough, his dismal polling numbers may be proper motivation for the party to pick anyone else.