Reports say Paul Ryan may leave speaker post by summer: 'Members won’t follow a lame duck\

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) may not last the summer in his speaker role, if the latest reports are believed to be true.

An Axios report on Thursday alleged that those with inside knowledge claim Ryan will step down well before the end of the year, which is what he initially planned, according to a Wednesday statement.

What's the background?

Ryan announced Wednesday his decision not to seek re-election this year, citing a desire to spend more time with his family.

In a statement, Ryan said that serving as the speaker of the House has "been a journey well worth taking."

What's in the report?

In the Axios report, Jonathan Swan and Mike Allen said that a "source close to leadership" reported Ryan might be forced to step down from speakership sooner rather than later.

"Scuttlebutt is that Paul will have to step down from speakership soon," the source told Swan and Allen, in the report. "Members won’t follow a lame duck, he’ll have no leverage to cut deals, and the last thing they need in this environment is six months of palace intrigue and everyone stabbing everyone else in the back."

An individual identified only as a "senior GOP member" echoed the first individual's claims and said that Ryan will be "gone by the end of July," the report said.

Swan and Allen wrote that an early Ryan departure has nothing to do with fundraising or money, but with "certainty and stability."

"Members need certainty and they don’t want to operate until November in a climate where every move from every member of leadership is viewed through the prism of jostling for the speakership," the report adds, noting that it would make sense for Ryan to leave over the summer, paving the way for an early election for the next speaker of the House.