Newt Gingrich: ‘I’ll Take a Paul Ryan Position’ on the Possibility of a Political Run
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ABC/Donna Svennevik(NEW YORK) — Former House Speaker and 2012 GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich discussed his relationship with the Clintons, the battle over the sequester, and the possibility of him running for office again in a web exclusive interview after his appearance on ABC’s This Week roundtable Sunday.
Gingrich holds a lasting legacy in the House of Representatives, where he represented Georgia for 20 years until 1999, before his run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012. But speculation swirled recently about Gingrich pursuing a position on the other side of the legislative branch, after Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss announced he would not seek re-election in 2014. While fellow Georgia native Gingrich’s name was quickly mentioned as a possibility, his spokesperson announced via Twitter that Gingrich would not be a candidate for the seat.
But does that mean Gingrich has completely ruled out another political run? When ABC News’ Jonathan Karl asked whether Gingrich was open to another run for office, he first responded firmly, “Yeah, I don’t think I’ll run for office, no.”
But Gingrich then revised his statement by poking fun at Rep. Paul Ryan’s attempts to dodge the same question earlier on This Week. “It strikes me as unlikely – I’ll take a Paul Ryan position, it’s not on my current list,” Gingrich said.
When Ryan was asked about his 2016 presidential ambitions on Sunday, he responded, “Will I or won’t I? I don’t know… I’m not foreclosing any opportunity. I may or I may not.”
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