Donald Trump has yet to choose a running mate, but everybody’s talking about his newest potential pick: former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. Could this conservative icon be just the man to balance out the inexperienced and unpredictable billionaire?
New Gingrich joined Trump on the campaign trail this week, blasting Hillary Clinton on Wednesday prior to a Trump rally in Cincinnati, Ohio:
“I cannot imagine a more vivid proof of corruption than the steps that go from the Bill Clinton accidental airport meeting, to the Saturday of the Fourth of July Weekend interview, to the Tuesday after the Fourth of July weekend conclusion based on the total non-analysis of the interview, to the Attorney General announcing with great surprise that she accepts the FBI director’s total sellout of the American system! They are once again making the case that there are two Americas: there is the corrupt Washington of the old order and there are all the rest of us,” he continued. “Enough is enough. Enough of the lies, enough of the job killing deals, enough of taking care of the big boys while the rest of us hit foreclosures – just to go down the list.”
Choosing Gingrich could be a brilliant move for Trump, who has admitted he’s looking for someone who “knows how Washington works.” Gingrich, best known for his 1994 congressional agenda “Contract with America” definitely fits the bill. Looking back to the 1990s, Gingrich utilized talk radio in the same way Trump is now exploiting social media to push his messages past the gatekeepers.
As November draws ever closer, Trump has made it clear that he is more interested in attracting disaffected Democrats than stubborn conservatives. Through his experience in the House, Gingrich has shown the willingness and ability to ally himself with Democrats.
The 73-year-old former Speaker is impressed with Donald Trump’s dramatic rise from underdog to nominee, perhaps seeing a reflection of his own career: “Remember that in Newt’s rise, people dismissed him,” says former Minnesota Rep. Vin Weber. “Newt was the epitome of the anti-establishment activist and he was ridiculed and laughed at by establishment figures in both parties on his way up the ladder. So he looks at Trump and that’s what he sees: he sees a guy who’s rising to the top over the ridicule of lots of people and he identifies with that.”
Gingrich seems excited to lend his personal experience and advice to the billionaire and says he’s one of the “four or five people” being considered for VP. Gingrich predicts Trump will make his final decision “either Thursday or Friday before the GOP convention.”
Editor’s note: Newt is one of the few people we quote on this site. He would make a powerful ally for Trump as VP, plus Newt and Paul Ryan might make some substantial progress on reducing our budget deficit. Would be a fine choice.