Gingrich: Obama in 'desperate frenzy' to leave legacy

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Gingrich shares advice for Trump's inauguration, agenda

The former House speaker gives his take on 'Hannity'

President Obama’s final spree of policy changes and initiatives is part of a “desperate frenzy” to leave a legacy which will largely be reversed, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich told “Fox News Sunday.”

“His legacy is like one of those dolls that, as the air comes out of it, shrinks and shrink and shrinks,” Gingrich said. “The things he’s done this week will be turned around … He’s in this desperate frenzy.”

Even while the first family is on vacation in Hawaii, Obama has had an active week, designating vast swaths of the Arctic and Atlantic oceans as off limits to future oil leases while planning more detainee transfers out of Guantanamo Bay and other moves.

Gingrich, though, said the bulk of Obama’s legacy stems from executive actions, “almost all of which will be repudiated by Trump.”

Gingrich said Obama also is “setting up a whole series of things to distract Trump” – and energize allies while the next president works with Republicans to roll back the measures.

Obama himself said in a recent interview with NPR that his advice for President-elect Donald Trump would be to use the legislative process over executive orders, “because it’s harder to undo.”

Gingrich also told “Fox News Sunday” that Obama’s legacy “would have lasted far longer” if he pursued legislation like the Affordable Care Act on a more bipartisan basis. How exactly Republicans intend to unravel parts or all of that law next year remains unclear.

The Trump adviser also addressed the recent terror attacks in Berlin and beyond, acknowledging that the incoming administration still needs to form a strategy for confronting the Islamic State.

“I don’t think they have a strategy,” he said, while touting Trump’s national security team and voicing confidence “they’re going to be able to produce a very aggressive strategy.”