Gingrich slams ‘suicidal strategy’ of rebel Republicans in Speaker vote
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) criticized Republicans who refused to back House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) attempt to clinch the gavel again in the lower chamber.
“Let’s be clear, this is a stunningly stupid, suicidal strategy, which only weakens the Republican Party, weakens President Trump, makes it harder to fix America, and these guys need psychologists,” Gingrich said during a Friday afternoon Fox News appearance.
“I don’t know what they think they are accomplishing in the real world except to make a spectacle out of this thing. Now I hope that at least two of them will switch. I think Massie is probably utterly, totally hopeless,” referring to Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.).
In the end, two votes did switch, Reps. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) and Keith Self (R-Texas), giving Johnson the Speakership.
His comments come after days of critiques of GOP members straying away from President-elect Trump’s support for Johnson’s second term.
“I do not understand what the CONTRARIAN house republicans think they will gain by opposing Speaker Mike Johnson,” Gingrich wrote in a Tuesday post on the social media platform X.
“They have no one who can get more votes. they risk crippling President Trump’s electoral win on January 6,” he added, declaring the group of Republicans “allies of the Democrats.”
Massie hit back in a lengthy post outlining why Johnson wasn’t the best fit for the job.
Updated at 2:58 p.m.
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