Gingrich Praises Trump’s Cabinet Picks, Calls for Overhaul of Pentagon
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) lauded President-elect Donald Trump for his bold approach in reshaping the U.S. government, particularly highlighting the unexpected cabinet nominations that he believes will drive significant reforms.
Speaking on “Cats Roundtable” on WABC 770 AM Sunday, Gingrich described Trump’s selections as creating the most reform-oriented cabinet in his lifetime.
“I’m watching President Trump create the most reform-oriented cabinet in my lifetime,” Gingrich said during the interview with host John Catsimidis.
He specifically pointed to the nominations of former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Fox News host Pete Hegseth, calling them a part of an “amazing team.” Gingrich emphasized the need for a “complete overhaul” at the Pentagon and praised Hegseth’s selection, despite controversy over his qualifications.
“It’s going to take enormous courage and resilience on the part of Pete Hegseth to survive over there because the whole old order is going to try to destroy him,” Gingrich warned, referring to potential pushback Hegseth may face from entrenched figures within the military.
While some lawmakers have questioned Hegseth’s resume and ability to lead national defense efforts, Gingrich believes that Hegseth’s background equips him to bring the necessary changes to the military. He shared that he had long been involved in defense matters and echoed concerns that the Pentagon was in dire need of restructuring.
“I’ve been actively involved in thinking about and working on defense for an extraordinarily long time. And I can tell you, the building needs a very complete overhaul,” Gingrich said.
He even recalled a retired senior military officer who recommended that Trump consider having every three- and four-star general retire and appoint two-star generals to refresh leadership at the Pentagon. Gingrich suggested that the Obama and Biden administrations had significantly undermined and corrupted the military system.
Reports indicate that Trump is considering an executive order to review the ranks of high-ranking military officials, with the potential to remove those deemed ineffective.
Gingrich also discussed the current political landscape, noting that Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) will be key figures working alongside the Trump administration, as the Republicans hold a majority in both chambers of Congress.
Gingrich described Thune as a “good guy” who can unite various factions, while acknowledging the difficulty of Johnson’s position as House Speaker.
Finally, Gingrich underscored the importance of addressing issues in America’s cities, suggesting that Trump’s administration should focus on turning urban areas “red,” with goals of increasing jobs, ensuring safety, and promoting honest governance.
“I think one of Trump’s commitments ought to be to try to turn the cities red so that they actually have jobs, have safety and have decent, honest government,” Gingrich concluded, calling it a vital project for the administration to pursue.
