Newt Gingrich Talks Importance of Electing More State Republicans on RSLC's Podcast

“Most of the creativity in American government occurs at the state level and local level. Most of our problems are solved at the state level and local level.”

Washington, DC — The Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) today released a new episode in its podcast series, “It’s Bigger Than You Think,” featuring an interview with former Speaker of the House and presidential candidate Newt Gingrich. Gingrich discusses the multiple crises being caused President Biden’s failed leadership, Republican efforts to make it easier to vote and harder to cheat, the importance of winning races at the state level, how the RSLC’s success in 2020 has Republicans well-positioned to fight back against liberal gerrymandering, and his predictions for the 2022 midterm elections.

Gringrich has been a strong supporter of the RSLC’s mission to recruit, train, and elect Republicans state-level offices across the country. In 2019, he joined Paul Ryan and John Boehner to form and lead a Speakers Advisory Council that provided critical support to the RSLC’s Right Lines 2020 initiative to protect Republican legislative majorities in the states ahead of redistricting.

“It’s Bigger Than You Think,” which is released bi-weekly on Wednesdays and is available on Spotify, Anchor, Apple Podcasts, and Youtube, contains in-depth discussions with current and former state Republicans, national thought leaders, and top political strategists about the outsized impact state government has on the everyday lives of all Americans.

Watch the full episode HERE.

HIGHLIGHTS

Newt Gingrich on President Biden’s failures during his first eight months in office:

It’s absolutely crazy. And because we’re talking here in the middle of the Afghan crisis, I think it has gotten crazier. And I think it’s dangerous. You have a southern border that is basically wide open. You have had cuts in the police forces in many cities. You are now going to have I think a wave of very enthusiastic terrorists coming out of Afghanistan, some of whom are going to come through our southern border where it seems like every day we already pick up somebody who is on a terrorist watch list. You have a Biden administration that seems to have an endless desire to spend money on a scale that your generation should really worry about. Because what he’s basically doing is taking your credit card and running up – this is not free stuff. That money is going to sit there as national debt and you are going to pay interest on it every year of your life unless we find a way to balance the budget. 

Newt Gingrich on the importance of the RSLC:

I want to commend the Republican State Leadership Committee for the work you do in all 50 states, the degree to which you’ve helped us grow so that there are more Republican state legislators than there are Democrats by a big margin. And you’ve also been the only organization that focused on lieutenant governors and that has helped with secretaries of state so what you have done is really important. 

Newt Gingrich on how the RSLC’s success in 2020 has Republicans well-positioned to fight back against liberal gerrymandering:

I think It’s an amazing victory, which I give the RSLC a lot of credit for. Because Democrats went all out, as you know. The former attorney general and President Obama both were out raising tons of money. They understood what was at stake. But you all helped put together brilliant campaigns across the whole country and we did very well at the state legislative level. Now what does that mean? It means that the current estimate is that the Republicans will probably gain a minimum of seven seats out of reapportionment.

Newt Gingrich on the need for strong Republican leadership in the states: 

Most of the creativity in American government occurs at the state level and local level. Most of our problems are solved at the state level and local level. Ironically, while the national Republican Party has some problems – you look at successful governors, you look at successful majorities in the legislature – they do just fine in the suburbs. Because they go out and they listen to their constituents and they develop solutions. And I think people are just very hungry for a solutions-oriented party that is broadly conservative but is not radically right-wing, and that is willing to improve your life, not just lecture you.