Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich joined Fox News host Maria Bartiromo on Sunday to drop some big-time truth bombs on the Republican Party and the entire field of GOP candidates.
OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
Essentially, he said, the primary race is over. Donald Trump has already won. And he could even make history in the process.
Here’s a partial transcript (see video below):
NEWT GINGRICH: He’s knowledgeable, it’s things he actually did, he’s not talking from note cards. The big difference is in 2017 he was a businessman, under tremendous assault from the FBI and the New York Times and the Washington Post, learning the trade.
Now he’s had enough time to think it through. I think his first year will be astonishing, and think people will be amazed at how much he can get done, how big a team he can assemble, and, frankly, barring some enormous change, he is the most likely person to be the next president of the United States, something only Grover Cleveland ever achieved, being president, losing, and coming back.
Right now the numbers are so overwhelming, Republicans ought to start focusing on how to beat Biden because I think at a practical level, they have a nominee, and his name is Donald Trump.
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In May, during an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, Gingrich explained why the 2024 presidential nomination is really Donald Trump’s to lose.
In doing so, Gingrich reflected on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ official announcement on Twitter Spaces earlier in the evening during an event co-hosted by the platform’s principal owner, Elon Musk.
“Look, I think he has to find a big, positive message, and I think, you’re right, it mostly is about the economy. And he has to communicate somehow that he’s uniquely different from Trump. That he’s the guy who can get it done,” Gingrich said.
“This is a country that is in trouble. The American people know that they’re economically in trouble. They know they’re in trouble with crime, they’re in trouble at the border, they’re in trouble in terms of a woke value system that is trying to impose itself on them. And I think what they want is a leader who’s positive, who has a plan that makes sense,” he added.
“I think the challenge for DeSantis, he had several months to do this and he didn’t do it. He adopted a deliberate strategy, I think, of going further to the right than Trump on cultural issues. And what that did is it said to all the people who are moderate Republicans, this must be the guy,” the former Georgia Republican added.
“That’s why you now have Tim Scott in the race, you’re going to get several more people in the race because there is a vacuum there that DeSantis didn’t fill. I think he’s a very good governor, does a great job in Florida, has a good message, but so far, he hasn’t come across as a charismatic leader with a compelling message that makes you say, yeah, he’s the guy, he’s the person I want to lead the country,” he said.
“And if he doesn’t find a message like that, then his campaign will gradually peter out.”