JANESVILLE, Wisconsin — House Speaker Paul Ryan’s policy record is collapsing among voters here under scrutiny from Republican challenger Paul Nehlen, so badly that Ryan is refusing to appear even on the Fox News Channel.

“We know Speaker Ryan, he’s been on this program many, many times,” Fox and Friends host Steve Doocy opened an interview with Nehlen on Thursday morning by saying. “We invited him to be on today.”

Later in the interview with Nehlen, Doocy divulged even more: “We did invite Speaker Ryan to appear today, and he declined.”

The fact that Ryan is shunning former media allies and generally refusing interviews except with his closest friends on local radio shows how terrified he and his team are ahead of next week’s primary showdown with Nehlen. No recent polling has been done on the race, so it’s unclear whether Nehlen is within striking distance here on Tuesday. But Ryan’s team is certainly taking nothing for granted, especially after last cycle’s embarrassing loss by then House Majority Leader Eric Cantor to now Rep. Dave Brat (R-VA).

Republicans party-wide are aware that Nehlen may win, and are prepared to support him if he does beat Ryan.

“Of course, we always support the Republican nominee in every race,” Republican National Committee (RNC) communications director Sean Spicer told Breitbart News on Wednesday when asked if Reince Priebus and the RNC would back Nehlen in November if he topples Ryan next week.

Spicer did say that Priebus supports Ryan, however, and sources external to the RNC have confirmed to Breitbart News that Priebus has been putting his thumb on the scales in this primary pushing people to either not endorse Nehlen or to back Ryan.

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/08/04/no-debates-no-open-press-events-declining-fox-news-paul-ryan-running-scared-final-days-ahead-primary-election/