During an interview with Sean Hannity on Thursday, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich said he would consider returning to the House of Representatives as an interim Speaker if the GOP came up with the necessary 218 votes.
Hannity: "Maybe this is a time for Newt Gingrich to come back with a flurry of ideas and a new contract that would advance a conservative agenda to help the country solve these horrible problems.
"Would you consider, if nominated, being the interim Speaker?"
Gingrich: "Look, I can't quite imagine a circumstance. Remember the McCarthy problem — it's not getting a majority of the conference, it's getting 218 votes. I mean, if you were to say to me 218."
Hannity: "Why are you laughing at my idea? This is a serious proposal."
Gingrich: "I'm not laughing at it. I'm saying to you — I'm trying to be totally honest with you.
"If you were to say to me 218 have called you up and given you their pledge, obviously no citizen could ever turn down that kind of challenge. This is why George Washington came out of retirement — because there are moments you can't avoid.
"What I would say, that would be more practical is if the House Republican Conference wanted me to be in a position to sit down with them and try to help them think this through. I think this is a conference-wide problem.
"I don't see the personality problem. I think this is something which requires serious historic thought ... this is a serious, I think sobering period in American history.
"Don't think of this as a personality thing. If the House conference wanted me to be helpful in their thinking through how they're going to solve what I think is much more than a personality problem, I would always be available as a citizen to be helpful.
"You show up with 218 votes, I'll talk to you. I ain't talking to you if you don't get 218 votes."
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