Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich on Monday criticized current House Republican Speaker Paul Ryan for not endorsing likely GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, claiming it showed “fear and weakness.”
In a blog post, he wrote, “Ryan’s Thursday statement that he could not yet endorse Trump was dangerous. It was also in some ways a demonstration of fear and weakness.”
Gingrich also used his blog to praise Texas Sen. Ted Cruz for gracefully exiting the presidential race, and called on Washington to elevate the Republican to the U.S. Supreme Court to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia.
.@SpeakerRyan's comments yesterday send the wrong signal. He's speaker, he has an obligation to unify the party. pic.twitter.com/0nlvv7BkpB— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) May 6, 2016
“He leaves the race a much bigger, stronger figure than when he entered. He is plausibly a candidate for the presidency in 2020 if (Donald) Trump loses. (Actually, Cruz is so young he is plausibly a candidate for president in 2040). He has the name recognition and financial network to become a future governor of our second biggest state. He would be a superb choice to fill the Scalia role on the Supreme Court,” wrote Gingrich.
Gingrich, himself a former presidential candidate, also expressed outrage at the sniping by the former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, and former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney at Trump.
“As someone who supported all three for president it was a bit outrageous to have them suddenly wiser and purer than millions of Republican voters. It is fine to have them skip Cleveland which ought to be focused on the future not the past. It is not acceptable to have them desert the party which made them national figures,” he wrote.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected]
