Newt Gingrich hammers GOP 'blackmailers' opposing Kevin McCarthy: 'Don't know what their endgame is'

close

Video

Newt Gingrich rips Republican holdouts as 'blackmailers': 'Don't know what their endgame is'

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich criticizes House Republicans who refused to support Kevin McCarthy's bid for speaker, calling their opposition equivalent to a 'temper tantrum.'

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich sounded off on the small group of House Republicans who refused to support Kevin McCarthy in his bid for speaker. On "Fox & Friends" Wednesday, Gingrich said the holdouts are "blackmailing" McCarthy, the party and the American public by stopping the conference from being able to move forward with its agenda. 

WHO ARE THE GOP'S ‘FIVE FAMILIES' FACTIONS INVOLVED IN MCCARTHY'S SPEAKERSHIP NEGOTIATIONS?

NEWT GINGRICH: They're not really blackmailing McCarthy. They're blackmailing the conference. On the votes yesterday, they were losing 202 to 20. And in a healthy, free society, you'd figure a 202 to 20 votes tells you something. But this 20 has gotten together and decided that they can not only blackmail the Republican conference. In effect, they're blackmailing the American people. Remember, we didn't get the vote yesterday to repeal the 87,000 IRS agents. We didn't get the announcement by McCarthy that there would be hearings on the border, so Democrats would be forced to go and look at the disaster. We did not get the kind of steps forward in organizing the China Select Committee to look at what the Chinese are doing. So just remember, these blackmailers aren't just blackmailing the Republican Party. They're blackmailing the whole country. And their game – I don't know what their end game is. I don't know why they think that 20 people can dictate to 202. It's a real problem. … It's the equivalent of a temper tantrum. 

WATCH MORE BELOW:

Video