Newt Gingrich will not say whether he wants Trump to run for president again
- Insider asked Gingrich whether he wants Trump to run for president again.
- "I don't have a want," Gingrich ultimately responded after prodding. "I think it's up to him."
It's hard to pin down former House Speaker Newt Gingrich on whether he wants Donald Trump to run for the White House again, even though he's a close ally of the former president.
"Well, I think that if he's healthy, he will," Gingrich told Insider during a Wednesday interview.
Asked the question a second time, Gingrich said, "I think that he is an extraordinary historic figure."
When pushed further, Gingrich said, "I don't have a want. I think it's up to him. If he wants to run, he will be the nominee, in my judgment. And the odds are pretty good he'll win."
Gingrich, who was among those vetted in 2016 to be Trump's vice president, has a Twitter feed filled pro-Trump commentary. His team at Gingrich360.com produced a series of blog posts last year titled "Trump was right, Biden was wrong," on everything from foreign policy to border security.
The architect of the "Contract of America" legislative agenda in 1994 and leader of Republicans' historic takeover of the House that year shared ideas last year with Trump for policy priorities in the 2022 midterm elections, POLITICO reported.
He has also been sharing ideas with House leadership as they craft a 2022 strategy. Asked whether Trump is supportive of his involvement, Gingrich said he never asked him.
"I am an independent agent," he said. "I'm a former Speaker of the House. I've been doing this stuff since 1959. I don't feel like I have to call Donald and say 'Gee, Is it okay if I do this?'"
If he decides to run for president, Trump won't face competition from Gingrich, who ran for president in 2012. Gingrich isn't interested in running again.
"Good grief, no," Gingrich said. "My wife would shoot me if she thought that was gonna happen. And since I have no desire to be shot, I will not run."
Kimberly Leonard contributed to this story.