Gingrich dismisses speculation he is in running for White House chief of staff

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) on Thursday dismissed speculation he is in the mix for White House chief of staff, adding that President Trump should select someone who is willing to stand up to him.

Gingrich on “Fox & Friends” denied he was at the White House on Wednesday to talk about the job after his appearance sparked speculation.

{mosads}”No, it’s actually funny,” Gingrich said, explaining that he was there with his wife to see Christmas decorations.

“I was there as an American citizen looking at one of the most famous of American buildings,” he added.

Gingrich also declined to offer any names of who he believes would make a good chief of staff, but said the person should be able to both manage the day-to-day duties of the job, and help Trump’s reelection efforts. 

“(Trump) needs somebody strong enough to say no,” Gingrich said. “This is a very strong-willed personality. He will run over a weaker person, and they will rapidly lose control of the building.

“No chief of staff is going to dominate President Trump, but he needs a chief of staff strong enough to look him in the eye and say, ‘that’s not a very good idea,’ ” Gingrich said. “And I hope he will pick somebody who’s that strong.”

Gingrich, an ally of the president’s, said he will support whomever Trump picks.

Trump has insisted he has several candidates he’s considering for chief of staff to replace John Kelly, despite multiple reports that indicate the president is scrambling to find someone after Nick Ayers turned down the job.

He has offered few names of potential candidates, mentioning Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) and former deputy campaign manager David Bossie. Meadows on Wednesday dropped out of the running after Trump told him he needed the congressman to remain in the House.