Rumors are flying following a visit to the White House by former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and subsequent reports that he’s now at the top of President Trump’s Chief of Staff wishlist. If true, it’s not the safe pick that Nick Ayers would have been had he been willing to take the job. It’s not the prudent pick that Representative Mark Meadows would have been if he wasn’t more useful to the President on Capitol Hill. It would be the crazy, controversial, big splash pick that many had expected from the President’s cabinet when he was first sworn into office.

It may be the perfect pick at the perfect time for President Trump.

https://twitter.com/kathrynw5/status/1072920025756065793

Right now, the President is building his reelection team. Make no mistake, everyone who is replaced as well as their replacements for the next year will be decided upon based on how well they can help the President win reelection. That’s standard practice in the White House, though some would argue these picks were supposed to be made from the beginning and not two years later, but this isn’t your parents’ White House.

Gingrich brings an extreme wealth of political knowledge to the table. It’s hard to find anyone who understands better how to navigate every political map in DC from Capitol Hill to special interest groups to the White House staff itself. Few have ever doubted his credentials. The problems with Gingrich have often circled around his private life. A President whose private life is already under attack may be the only one who could bring in a man like Gingrich.

Reactions on Twitter were as expected.

.@newtgingrich would be perfect for this role. The corrupt, immoral, lying former author of the Contract on Americans can come back to reprise his role and continue to wreak destruction in conjunction with the corrupt, lying Trumpistas. https://t.co/lzIxUqi3pB — Jodi Jacobson (@jljacobson) December 13, 2018

Considering Newt Gingrich isn’t scraping the bottom of the barrel. It’s picking up the barrel and digging until you hit a septic tank filled with medical waste. https://t.co/lw4039BEqK — The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) December 13, 2018

Reports say Newt Gingrich is the President's top choice for Chief of Staff. Who's going to tell him… https://t.co/L6iQf8ae7N — JD Rucker (@JDRucker) December 13, 2018

I’ve now heard from two different sources that @newtgingrich (who was at the White House today) is currently topping the list for the next @realDonaldTrump administration White House Chief of Staff. — Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) December 13, 2018

If the gets the gig, I predict Newt Gingrich will last 4.5 Scaramuccis as Trump’s Chief of Staff — Mark R. Yzaguirre (@markyzaguirre) December 13, 2018

Newt Gingrich destroyed the Republican Party and molded modern politics into the hellscape it presently is, so I can think of no one more deserving of booking passage on the Trump Titanic as it steams full ahead than him. https://t.co/qPFsKB9AKu — Jessica Scott (@jessicascott714) December 13, 2018

Reports surfacing that Newt Gingrich is Trump's top pick to replace John Kelly as White House chief of Staff… Gingrich was seen at the White House yesterday. Would you support President Trump's decision to make NEWT GINGRICH the next White House Chief of Staff? — Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto) December 13, 2018

My Take

I may be biased since he was my pick for the GOP nomination in 2012, but I’m glad to see Gingrich in the mix. I would have rather seen Meadows in the role, but the President knows what the President knows.

This could all be a smokescreen to keep us focused on something other than Michael Cohen and the National Enquirer. Or it could just be more rampant unsubstantiated rumors cooked up by those who want to seem like they’re in the know. One would expect the President to Tweet about this right about now if it’s real.

I know every Democrat and a lot of Republicans would be against it, but I would love to see Newt Gingrich as Chief of Staff. He’s one of the smartest people in DC and would challenge the President when appropriate. We’ll know soon enough.