On Sunday morning, former Speaker of the House and vocal Donald Trump supporter Newt Gingrich appeared opposite Chuck Todd on NBC’s Meet The Press. The two men discussed turmoil within the Republican party, whether the candidates have campaign regrets, and what November 9th in America might look like.
“I’m trying to figure out November 9th,” Todd said. “What do we do as a country on November 9th? Because this has been a rough election.” To illustrate his point, the anchor repeated Gingrich’s own words from 2001, following Bush v. Gore, back to him. “You said the following: ‘Most Americans do not find themselves actually alienated from their fellow Americans or truly fearful if the other party wins power. Unlike in Bosnia, Northern Ireland or Rwanda, competition for power in the U.S. remains largely a debate between people who can work together once the election is over.'” Todd asked whether he believed that would still be the case in January 2017. In his response, Gingrich painted a bleak picture of a deeply divided America:
“No. No, I think tragically, we have drifted into an environment where if Hillary is elected, the criminal investigations will be endless, and if Trump is elected, it will just be like Madison, Wisconsin with Scott Walker. The opposition of the government employee unions will be so hostile and so direct and so immediate, there will be a continuing fight over who controls the country. I think that we are in for a long, difficult couple of years, maybe a decade or more, because the gap between those of us who are deeply offended by the dishonesty and the corruption and the total lack of honesty in the Clinton Team. And on their side, their defense of unions, which they have to defend, I understand that. But that will lead to a Madison, Wisconsin kind of struggle if Trump wins.”
Gingrich is focusing more on the difficulties that he foresees with a Clinton win, but he does have a point. No matter which candidate wins, Congress will certainly deadlock on a number of issues. In other words, the mess of this election will continue for years.
