Shutting the door on media speculation, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Thursday that he will not be serving in President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet.
Gingrich, who was a major Trump supporter during the late campaign and appeared frequently on TV and radio to flack for Trump, has been the subject of constant speculation that he will join Trump’s cabinet in some role. Rumors have been flying that Gingrich might be a candidate for Secretary of State in a Trump administration.
But in a Thursday interview, the former Speaker closed the door on further talk of a cabinet position. “I will not be in the Cabinet. I intend to be focused on strategic planning,” Gingrich told McClatchy.
The 73-year-old entrepreneur and author said he had no intention in staying off the scene, but he wouldn’t be serving as a cabinet member. Gingrich did say he would continue to engage in advising and advocating for policy ideas, “which is exactly what I did under the Bush administration.”
But Gingrich also insisted Trump’s final administration would be a surprise to many, saying, “Trump is going to break the mold” with his cabinet.
Gingrich himself ran for president in 2012, losing in the primaries to Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, but not before earning a few primary wins.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.
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