Ryan Applauds Trump Move to Pull out of TPP

US President Donald Trump turns to House Speaker Paul Ryan as he is joined by the Congressional leadership and his family as he formally signs his cabinet nominations into law, in the President's Room of the Senate, at the Capitol in Washington,DC on Jan. 20, 2017. (J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE/AFP/Getty Images)

House Speaker Paul Ryan, a longtime champion of free trade, is applauding President Donald Trump’s move to pull out of the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership.

The Wisconsin Republican says in a statement that Trump “has followed through on his promise to insist on better trade agreements.”

It comes after Trump signed an executive memorandum in the Oval Office Monday to leave the proposed Pacific Rim trade pact. The move was basically a formality since the agreement negotiated by the Obama administration had yet to receive congressional approval and faced significant opposition in the House and Senate.

Still Ryan’s support for Trump’s move was notable since he has long advocated for free trade.

Trump’s move sparked criticism from some other Republicans. Sen. John McCain of Arizona called it “a serious mistake.”