Gingrich: Congress Should Make Obama Testify on Russia

Former President Barack Obama should be called in to testify under oath about when he knew Russia was meddling in the 2016 presidential race, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Tuesday.

"Was it really last August, as the news stories say?" Gingrich commented during a Fox News' "Fox & Friends" interview. 

"Who told him? It's going to turn out, yes, there's a big Russian story. It's [about] Barack Obama. Not [President] Donald Trump. And you cannot make this stuff up."

Congress has "an obligation" to call in Obama, Gingrich continued.

"How can you be told the resident of the United States knew last August that the Republicans were, in fact, involved in this and not ask him under oath?" said the former speaker.

"I mean, how can you be so irresponsible? The House and Senate are going to have to call Obama in and say 'who advised you? Why did you not decide to do anything? And then why did you keep quiet for six months while everybody looked at the Russians and Trump when you, in fact, had this information?'"

Gingrich also criticized CNN for its reporting on Russia and the news that three journalists have resigned following a retracted report claiming a link between a Russian investment fund and Anthony Scaramucci, an aide to President Donald Trump.

Gingrich said CNN should appoint outside analyst Michael Mukasey, a former attorney general, to investigate its issues and work to restore the network's vision.

"I like lots of the people at CNN," said Gingrich. I worked with them for a while, and there's very good people at CNN with a very long tradition of being good journalists."

CNN's culture and overall system are now "very suspect," the former speaker said, and "they should bring in an outside person like the attorney general to review the whole culture and reset it so people can have faith in CNN again."

Gingrich also hailed the decision by the Supreme Court to take up Trump's travel ban this fall, saying it proves the president was right, despite the news media's attacks.

The decision also puts "real doubt" on the 9th Circuit Court, which ruled against the travel order, said Gingrich.

"I think the 9th Circuit Court should be profoundly overhauled," said Gingrich. "It's the most routinely overturned court in the United States. It is consistently wrong, and I think that we ought to have a serious look at why the 9th Circuit is so bad and what should be done to fix it."

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