Former House Speaker Paul Ryan said "entertainers" have become successful at gaining traction in Congress, a departure from the "meritocracy" that he felt was in place for much of his tenure in office.
Ryan made the remarks during a conversation on CNBC's "Squawk Box" last Thursday, adding that the drive to legislate is no longer the goal of some of the most high-profile members.
"In the old days, like 10 years ago, if you wanted to do really well in Congress, if you wanted to succeed, you climbed a meritocracy. The measurement of success was policy and persuasion," he told host Becky Quick.
He continued: "That's not necessarily what motivates people anymore. There's a lot of entertainers in Congress from both parties. We have an entertainment wing of the Republican and Democratic parties."