Gingrich: Recount effort part of takeover by the 'nutty wing' of the Democratic party

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Gingrich: Recount mania is example of collapse of Dem Party

On 'Hannity,' former House speaker blasts the recount efforts, discusses the secretary of state vacancy

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich slammed efforts by Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and Green Party candidate Jill Stein to force a recount of votes in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, with another request expected to be filed in Michigan this week.

"The recount mania is one more example of the collapse of the Democratic Party as a realistic institution," Gingrich told Fox News' Sean Hannity on "Hannity" Monday. "You’re seeing the sort of nutty wing of the Democratic Party begin to take over."

"If there was a realistic chance that they could turn three states, and therefore turn the election, you could say 'All right, I get it,'" Gingrich added. "But there’s not. I mean, nobody believes they’re going to turn Pennsylvania, period. If you don’t turn Pennsylvania, nothing matters ... The odds against them ... are probably a trillion to one."

Gingrich also told "Hannity" that President-elect Donald Trump could alienate many of his supporters by nominating longtime nemesis Mitt Romney.

"[Trump] simply needs to understand ... that there is an enormous base that wanted to drain the swamp and they see Romney as the swamp," Gingrich said. "He has to decide if he’s willing to accept a very large part of his base being totally upset and feeling betrayed ... I can’t quite imagine the introductory speech where president-elect Trump explains why Mitt Romney makes any sense as secretary of state."

For his part, the former Speaker endorsed former New York City Mayor and longtime Trump supporter Rudy Giuliani to be secretary of state, telling Hannity that "anybody who’s watched him knowsyou wouldn’t get anybody tougher, both in reforming the State Department and in speaking to the world on behalf of America ... I think he would do a terrific job."