In the contest to become Donald Trump's running mate, former presidential candidate Herman Cain backs Newt Gingrich, one of his 2012 rivals,
reports Politico.
"I would pick Newt Gingrich because Newt Gingrich can be an attack dog and he is also a smart dog," Cain said on "Fox & Friends" Wednesday. He went on to say that the former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives "has the unique perspective of having been an insider and an outsider."
"A lot of young people don't even know about" Gingrich's "contract with America," Cain said, which was "very successful." The contract was widely credited with helping swing the House majority to the GOP in the 1994 election.
"That's the smart dog part. Attack dog part, he is so knowledgeable of both domestic and international issues, he can attack people with the facts instead of just with erroneous statements like Hillary Clinton is doing," Cain added. "That's why I think Newt is uniquely qualified to serve both of those roles and he could do them very effectively."
Fox News severed its ties with Gingrich on Tuesday, amid speculation that the former congressman from Georgia will be Trump's pick. Gingrich has been a contributor to the network since October.
"Due to the intense media speculation about Gingrich's potential selection as Donald Trump's vice presidential candidate, we felt it best to halt his contributor role on the network to avoid all conflicts of interest that may arise," Jay Wallace, the network's executive vice president for news, said in a statement reported by
The Washington Post.
"If Trump offers the position and is serious about it, which I think he would be after our conversations, listen, I would feel compelled to serve the country," Gingrich told Fox News' Greta Van Susteren last Thursday, according to
CNN.
"Donald Trump's substance is finally starting to cut through some of the media clutter and Hillary Clinton's shallowness is also starting to emerge," Cain said. "She is the free-stuff candidate disguised as wanting to help people, but that's not coming through. But Donald Trump's substance is what's finally starting to emerge."
Some have applauded the strategy behind adding Gingrich to the Trump ticket.
"Picking Gingrich could be a brilliant idea. Trump has said, admirably, that he wants someone who knows how Washington works. For good and for ill, Gingrich fits that bill," said Jonah Goldberg, senior editor of the National Review, in a column published by the
Chicago Tribune.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.