Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich praised Donald Trump’s decision to select Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate after a “very methodical” process that left Gingrich as one of the final contenders.
“[Trump] took it very seriously,” Gingrich said of the vice presidential vetting process during an appearance Sunday on CBS News’ “Face the Nation.”
Gingrich said he was not disappointed that Trump chose Pence over himself, noting he still felt “very close” to Trump and his family. “Trump has done something nobody else in American history has done,” Gingrich said of Trump’s insurgent rise to the top of the Republican Party.
“He needed somebody to be ambassador to the traditional Republicans who’ve been around,” Gingrich added.
Pence, as a former congressman and current Indiana governor, could bridge relationships with party stalwarts that Trump may be lacking, Gingrich said. Trump himself has suggested “party unity” was a factor in his decision to select Pence as his running mate.
