Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, blasting efforts by Green Party candidate Jill Stein and Democrats to force recounts of presidential votes in key states, says the move signals the collapse of the Democratic Party.

"The recount mania is one more example of the collapse of the Democratic Party as a realistic institution," Gingrich told Fox News' Sean Hannity. "You're seeing the sort of nutty wing of the Democratic Party begin to take over."

Stein has pushed for recounts in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania and is expected to file a recount request in Michigan this week.

"If there was a realistic chance that they could turn three states, and therefore turn the election, you could say, 'All right, I get it,'" Gingrich added. "But there's not. I mean, nobody believes they're going to turn Pennsylvania, period. If you don't turn Pennsylvania, nothing matters ... The odds against them ... are probably a trillion to one."

Gingrich also warned that Donald Trump risks alienating his supporters if he decides to name Mitt Romney, a one-time vocal critic of the president-elect, as secretary of state.

"[Trump] simply needs to understand that there is an enormous base that wanted to drain the swamp and they see Romney as the swamp," Gingrich told Hannity. "I can't quite imagine the introductory speech where president-elect Trump explains why Mitt Romney makes any sense as secretary of state."

Meanwhile, election officials in Wisconsin are promising a quick recount of the votes starting on Thursday, according to NBC News.

The network news reports the Wisconsin recount is expected to be completed by Dec. 12.