Newt Gingrich: Albert Hunt’s wrong about Republicans’ responses

I have been in this game of politics a long time, and I have a fairly thick skin. I usually don’t respond to smears, but Albert Hunt’s recent insult-laced attack warrants a rebuttal — not because I care that he doesn’t like me, but because I just don’t think he’s been paying much attention. I wanted to set the record straight, so that readers of The Hill would recognize his errors. 

Citing one of several op-eds, podcasts, videos and other pieces of commentary I recently produced from Gingrich 360, Hunt alleged that I (and other Republicans) had a “barren” agenda. He said my criticism of the Commission on Presidential Debates (which he also criticizes) was “insignificant” and that I should have been talking instead about more important issues — namely the COVID-19 crisis, the economy and health care. 

Had he exercised just a touch more diligence in writing his piece, he would have known that I have had plenty to say about COVID-19 and the president’s handling of it. 

For instance, on Tuesday (two days before Hunt’s piece published), I wrote at length about President Trump’s real, consequential efforts to battle the virus, save lives — and save the American economy. I highlighted the apparent memory lapses Hunt and other members of the elite media have had about the Trump virus response — and Joe Biden’s complete lack thereof.  

I even did a YouTube video on the subject the day before for folks who didn’t feel like reading. And, I had a great conversation with Karl Rove on my podcast a few weeks ago about the left’s apparent “memory hole” when it comes to the true COVID-19 timeline. (By the way, there’s no scapegoating there; the spread of the virus is China’s fault.) 

As for Hunt’s allegations about the Republican health care plan, he’s just parroting tired, years-old Democrat talking points that simply aren’t true. Back in September, Gingrich 360 Chief Strategy Officer Joe DeSantis and I wrote about the president’s health care plan — which Hunt could have read in this very publication had he taken the time. And, DeSantis wrote an explainer on each of President Trump’s health care directives the month before. 

The Democrats’ claim that Republicans don’t have anything to say or do on health care is just false. What they mean is we don’t want to replace one bloated, ineffective, comprehensive health care plan with another bloated, ineffective, comprehensive health care plan. The health care industry affects every single American in multiple ways — including life-or-death situations. It also makes up nearly a fifth of our entire GDP. It’s going to take hard work and a lot of effort to fix. It’s going to take 1,000 steps. There’s no solution that will fit on a campaign sticker. This is serious. 

As for Hunt’s claim that I and other Republicans are mum on shoring up and rebuilding the economy, it’s pure baloney. In March, at the start of the crisis, I laid out a way to fight the virus and protect jobs. In June, I published “Trump and the American Future” — a more than 75,000-word book that was largely rewritten in the final months specifically to address the virus and its consequences. Since then, I have spent dozens of hours every week writing, thinking and talking with people about how we can save our country from the virus — and ensure that America can thrive once we’ve done it. 

I can stand being called a lot of things, but “lazy” is not one of them. As for Hunt’s personal attacks over my political career, I’d suggest he focus more on 2020 than 1997. That’s what I’m doing.   

Newt Gingrich is a former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, chairman of the board at Gingrich Productions and a Gallup senior scientist. Follow him on Twitter @newtgingrich.