Donald Trump, Mitt Romney, and Luis Gutierrez (and National Review) all have one thing in common: they like the idea of Paul Ryan becoming speaker of the House.  

Mitt Romney called Paul Ryan to urge him to run for Speaker, according to GOP Rep Fred Upton. Upton "he needs to do this for the team"

One of the most vocal advocates for amnesty has given his stamp of approval to Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) for House Speaker, according to Huffington Post reporter Sam Stein. Friday Stein tweeted that Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) “says Paul Ryan would be a good Speaker and work w/ Dems. Then says he probably just hurt Ryan’s chances by saying that.”

Gutierrez and Ryan have worked together in the past, notably on comprehensive immigration reform. In that pursuit, in 2013 Gutierrez said he saw Ryan as his “ally” in fighting for amnesty for illegal immigrants.   “So, when I sit down and talk to people, I clear the table, so I can see Paul Ryan not as budget chairman, not as somebody whose budget I have voted and will always vote against, but as a friend and an ally to free 11 million people,” Gutierrez said in 2013.

This may explain why Gutierrez likes Ryan so much:

In 2013, Ryan was highly sympathetic to the push for amnesty for illegal immigrants (though he objected to the term). In fact, he appeared at a pro-amnesty rally alongside liberal Democrat Luis Gutierrez, the most strident amnesty monger in the House. In addition, he pitched the alleged economic benefits of amnesty to his House colleagues.

And then we come to Donald Trump.  Donald Trump praised Ryan as "strong" and added:

... when Dickerson asked whether he'd be okay with Ryan as speaker, Trump replied, "I would be okay ... Paul Ryan's a good man. I know him very little, but I think he's a very good person."

This is hardly a strong endorsement, but why would Donald Trump be even "okay" with any candidate for speaker who supported amnesty?  What would you think if Ted Cruz were "okay" with Paul Ryan?  You'd be shocked, and rightly so.

I am going to give Trump the benefit of the doubt that he doesn't know Ryan's position on amnesty.  From the wording of his reply, it sounds as though he doesn't know much about Paul Ryan at all.  A person who knew Paul Ryan would not think he'd be a good pick for speaker.  Ryan isn't even particularly "strong," as Trump stated, having collaborated with Obama on many deals over the years.

But Ryan isn't some anonymous leader of a rebel band in Syria.  He's the former nominee for vice president and a major player in the House of Representatives.  Trump is an outsider, and that's good, but he doesn't seem to have the knowledge of an insider.  At times he exhibits the same cluelessness as Ben Carson does when he's asked about raising the debt ceiling or setting the minimum wage.

This exchange doesn't disqualify Trump from being president, but one wonders how much about policy he really knows.  It isn't enough to hire "the best people"; every candidate claims to do that.  We need a candidate with a fully developed set of political beliefs, and a basic understanding of the major issues and players.

This article was written by Ed Straker, senior writer of NewsMachete.com, the conservative news site.