Newt Gingrich: Biden strategy ‘demonizing Republicans’ was effective

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) said President Biden’s effort to vilify Republicans ahead of this week’s midterm elections appears to have worked.

“I was surprised, because I thought with the inflation rate and the price of food and the price of gasoline, with the crime rate that we have seen … I thought all those things would have made for a very big Republican night,” Gingrich said Wednesday morning during an appearance on Fox News. “And I have to say, much as I think it’s despicable, the Biden strategy of demonizing Republicans … I think did have an impact and will probably become part of the definition of the Democratic Party.”

Early results from Tuesday’s midterm elections show Democrats holding on to a number of key congressional seats after what was predicted by many to be a “red wave” that would sweep across the country as a rebuke of Democratic control of the executive and legislative branches of government.

As his party prepared to fight back Republican challengers, many of whom had been backed by former President Trump, Biden warned Americans against what he called “ultra MAGA” Republicans whom he deemed a threat to the country and democracy writ large.

“Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic,” Biden said during a speech in September. “Now, I want to be very clear, very clear up front: Not every Republican, not even the majority of Republicans, are MAGA Republicans. Not every Republican embraces their extreme ideology. I know because I’ve been able to work with these mainstream Republicans. But there is no question that the Republican Party today is dominated, driven, and intimidated by Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans, and that is a threat to this country.”