Gingrich mocks Romney for 'sucking up' to Trump

Mitt Romney’s groveling reminds Newt Gingrich of a scene from “Pretty Woman,” the former House speaker said Wednesday.

In an interview with conservative radio host Laura Ingraham, Gingrich continued his anti-Romney crusade, ripping one of Trump’s top contenders to lead the State Department.


“There’s a scene in ‘Pretty Women,’ where Richard Gere goes up to the salesman on Rodeo Drive and says, ‘We need a little sucking up here,’” Gingrich said, recalling a scene from the 1990 romantic comedy.

“You have never, ever in your career seen a serious adult who’s wealthy, independent, has been a presidential nominee, suck up at the rate that Mitt Romney is sucking up,” Gingrich continued. “And I am confident that he thinks now that Donald Trump is one of his closest friends, that they have so many things in common, that they’re both such wise, brilliant people.”

Despite his fierce rhetoric against Trump during the presidential campaign, Romney has emerged as a top candidate for secretary of state in Trump’s administration.

Trump transition aides told reporters Wednesday morning that Trump has settled on a four-person short list, although there is no timetable for him to announce his decision, and communications director Jason Miller would only mention Romney and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani when asked who had made Trump’s final four.

Romney dined with Trump and incoming chief of staff Reince Priebus on Tuesday evening. Romney characterized his night as “a wonderful evening” and credited the president-elect for doing what he couldn’t do in 2012: win.

He also praised Trump’s transition effort, including his early Cabinet appointments, concluding his remarks by hailing Trump as “the very man who can lead us to that better future.”

Gingrich said he was sure Romney was “happy to share his vision of populism, which involves a little foie gras, a certain amount of, you know, superb cooking, but put that in a populist happy manner” at the dinner.

Romney, Trump and Priebus reportedly dined on sautéed frog legs, in addition to prime sirloin, lamb chops and chocolate cake.

“Luckily for them, Mitt speaks French fluently,” Gingrich said. “He could help them with the menu. He could say, ‘Ahh, Mr. President-elect, this would be the prefect le meal for you.’” (Romney served his Mormon mission in France.)

Gingrich, who has pushed for Trump to nominate Giuliani as secretary of state, said the choice is the president-elect’s to make and maintained that he’ll support his decision either way.

“But I would certainly say the fact that they keep it open — I mean, they know that every day that goes by the opposition to Romney grows,” Gingrich said. “I just got a good note from a friend of mine saying how deeply evangelicals will oppose Romney. So every day that they let this thing hang out there, I think it’s harder and more expensive to pick Romney.”

It would be “very interesting,” he added, if Trump “tests” the phrase “Romney for secretary of state” on his thank-you tour — which kicks off Thursday in Cincinnati.

“It would be very interesting to watch a Trump crowd respond because it would not be pretty,” he said.