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Newt Gingrich Becomes First GOP Candidate To Officially RSVP To Donald Trump Debate

» 51 comments

Both Jon Huntsman and Ron Paul declined their invitations to the Donald Trump-moderated Newsmax debate on December 27th, and many pundits have criticized the choice of Trump as moderator (including Mediaite’s own Colby Hall). Many wondered if any candidates would actually go to the debate, but during his visit to Staten Island yesterday, Republican frontrunner Newt Gingrich told reporters he would definitely be in attendance.

Gingrich’s reasons for going to the debate basically boil down to the Donald’s very presence. In fact, Gingrich’s visit to New York will be marked tomorrow by a meeting with the Donald himself.

“I would want to go just for the entertainment value… I can’t imagine what a debate hosted by Donald Trump would be like.”

RELATED: Andy Levy Congratulates GOP On Trump Debate: ‘Moderated By A Crazy Birther’

Gingrich’s meeting tomorrow with Trump will be held at Trump Tower, and he will be seeking the Donald’s “advice and endorsement.” So it was no surprise the candidate admitted he was an admirer of the millionaire reality show star, and his RSVP is one hundred percent sincere.

“It’d be like if Bill Gates called and said, ‘Hi, I’d like to host a debate.’ The correct answer would be, ‘Yes.’ You wouldn’t say, ‘Hi, I gotta check my calendar.”

So far, no other candidate has indicated their willingness to participate in the debate. But Michele Bachmann is likely to accept, given that on Fox News last week she threw out Trump’s name as a potential running mate. Former GOP frontrunner Rick Perry has not responded either, but he did have a high-profile meeting with Trump several months ago so it’s possible he may still be seeking Trump’s endorsement too.

h/t msnbc.com

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  • Jay

    Here is most accurate headline for this article:

    “Lobbyist pays obeisance to plutocrat.”

  • Anonymous

    No one should attend this fiasco- It is just another Trump self-aggrandizing stunt.  If this does occur, I would not be surprised if Trump asked the candidates ” Don’t you think Donald Trump would make a great president?”

  • Anonymous

    Newt and the Donald can rub bellies and measure belly button depth.

  • Jay

    “If Trump wants to be taken seriously by Republicans, he needs to quit Celebrity Apprentice and apologize to the Iowa GOP.

    “If he gets his act together, President Paul might consider getting his advice on fixing our country’s financial situation. We understand Donald has a lot of experience with bankruptcy.”

    - Jesse Benton, Campaign Manager for Ron Paul

  • Anonymous

    Don’t you love farce?

    where are the clowns,
    send in the clowns,
    don’t bother they’re here.

    I suppose if you see this “debate” as entertainment  rather than serious that’s okay. At least when a candidate goes on SNL it’s obviously in fun.

  • Anonymous

    If you don’t like it, don’t watch it.  Why is this any different than any other debate?  George Stephanapolous, a well known democrat operative who is famous for the nuts and sluts defense of Slick Willy, can host a debate, why not the Donald?  Wolf Blitzer who has Kermit the frog on as a guest can host a debate, why not the Donald?  Katie Couric can ask Obama what his favorite colour is, and if he needs another pillow, and she is deemed as a viable debate moderator?

    Come on.

  • Jay

    Yes.  I love this.  I can’t wait to see what SNL, Stewart, Colbert do with this “debate”/Trump advertisement.

    It will be hilarious!

  • Anonymous

    did he just compare donald trump to bill gates? LMFAO

  • Anonymous

    Yes, I’m sure SNL, Stewart, Colbert are your only news sources.

  • Anonymous

    Entertainment is MSNBC.

  • Henry Wood

    Oh yes!  I was starting to worry that all the republiklan candidates would refuse to participate in this freak show. 

    Prediction:  Winner of this debate–Barack Obama–he has been the winner of all 77 republiklan debates.

  • Anonymous

    Gingrich: “I would want to go just for the entertainment value… I can’t imagine what a debate hosted by Donald Trump would be like.”

    I guess using the same logic, he’d attend a debate moderated by Kim Kardashian.

  • Anonymous

    You really don’t live in the real world, do you?

  • Anonymous

    Of course he’ll be there….he’s after the crazy birther vote.  Newt’s shrewd, but yet, still disgusting.

  • Anonymous

    Snappy comeback.

  • Anonymous

    All thanks to the GOP

  • Anonymous

    Newt Gingrich is the
    shooting-star-of-the-month Republican candidate for president. He’s proclaimed
    himself the front runner based on the polls; and it must be true because all
    the other Republican candidates have begun criticizing him. But can the chubby,
    twice divorced, former Speaker of the House with an attitude and a record in
    politics longer than Moses’ trek in the desert win the Republican nomination
    and the 2012 election? The answer to both questions is yes, and here’s why.  http://ewross.com/can_newt_gingrich_win_the_nomination_and_the_election.htm

  • Anonymous

    Does the first to RSVP win the birther vote, or does that belong to the winner debate?  The reality TV feel of the rest of the debates was bad enough, but to include Trump turns this from a charade to outright farce.  I love a good debate, guys, but this is going to be pathetic.  I feel like Trump is literally about to turn all the participants into reality show contestants.  The Republican Party can do better than this!  What happened to real debates with real respectable journalists hosting the evening?  This is just frankly embarrassing.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mary-Bechthold/1380381077 Mary Bechthold

    Is this a joke?

  • News Of The World

    Further evidence that the Republicanteepartee has become a caricature of itself. I look forward to the re-election of Barak Obama.  These idiots couldn’t beat my dog in a general election.  Unfortunately, in the process, these Republicanteepartee idiots do more damage to the reputation and character of the United States of America than anyone else.  

  • Anonymous

    I don’t find Fox or MSNBC all that entertaining or informative, so I stopped watching them some time ago. 

  • http://mediamatters.org/ Leedog

    More proof Newt is a fool!! Furthermore, anyone who believes Newt is a great “idea man” should review their own thinking on the issue!!

  • Hugo Daun

    “It’d be like if Bill Gates called and said, ‘Hi, I’d like to host a debate.’”

    No, Newtron…it would not be like that.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mark-Williams/100000431800956 Mark Williams

    More proof that Newt has his finger two inches away from the self destruct button at all times. 

    He’s gonna look really smart when all the other candidates call BS on this travesty.

    And they will.

  • Anonymous

    Epic Fail.

  • Anonymous

    At this point, if the other candidates have any brains, they will all refuse to show, and cut Newt off at the knees.  Newt will look like a moron for rushing to be the first to put his lips on Trump’s unit.

  • Anonymous

    The LAST person I want to hear from is Frump.  What are they going for…the Orange People vote?  Frump, a serial bankrupter, is THE symbol of all that is wrong with crony capitalism.  This skank corrodes every business he touches, and then declares bankruptcy again.  Very bad move for those fools who attend the Frump session.  I knew there was a reason I liked Paul and Huntsman.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Miljana-Mandich/100000344785321 Miljana Mandich

    Oh shut up.The day Republicans accept liberals’ advice on enything….This is going to be the highest rated show on Earth,so you libs can eat your hearts out

  • WiddleBabyDanielson

    I don’t know Mark.
    Did you ever think as many (R) candidates have looked for Trump approval.
    Did you ever think we would have the current Reality Show?

  • WiddleBabyDanielson

    Can’t do Cable News any more.

  • WiddleBabyDanielson

    ON EARTH

  • Levi

    Exactly what I was thinking, Romney should wait until the last minute to decline and just leave Gingrich, Bachmann and possibly Perry to make themselves look like idiots. 

  • BooBoo Bear

    You are aware that watchers of Colbert’s comedy show actually know more about the “news” and “issues” than “Faux” News viewers.

  • Charles Ulysses Feney

    Lookin’ For A Trump Bump

    The debate is hosted by a globalist hump
    Who goes by the name of Donald Trump
    Newt and Mitt will be there
    To adore the Donald’s hair
    And hopefully get the idiot vote’s bump!

    Yes, this world’s getting way too bizarre
    Like Clinton’s Monica moistening his cigar.
    Next thing you know
    They’ll have a new show
    Where the Candidates must Dance With A Star!
    _____________________________
    Charles Ulysses Feney

  • Ronald Gagnon

    Two pathetic ego maniacs vying for face time on TV

  • Anonymous

    what’s it like to be you, tina

  • Anonymous

    Newt is doing what he knows best, kissing the top 1% ass.

  • Charles Ulysses Feney

    Lookin’ For A Trump Bump

    The debate is hosted by a globalist hump
    Who goes by the name of Donald Trump
    Newt and Mitt will be there
    To adore the Donald’s hair
    And hopefully get the idiot vote’s bump!

    Yes, this world’s getting way too bizarre
    Like  Monica moistening Clinton’s cigar.
    Next thing you know
    They’ll have a new show
    Where the Candidates must Dance With A Star!

    This debate should be fun for America to see
    Watching Donald give the field the third degree
    It’s the next inevitable step
    In America’s ongoing schlepp
    Toward establishing a true Idiotocracy!
    _____________________________
    Charles Ulysses Feney

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_45S32GWGDRUJIL6E2U4HOZW4BM Bob

    Gingrich is right.

    Trump the Liar is a lot like Bill Gates -  If Gates did zero to earn his money, inherited gazillions from his daddy, mismanaged his businesses, filed for multiple bankruptcies and was forced to eke out a living to maintain his egotistical standard of living.

    And Gates isn’t a birther and doesn’t make shit up about Hawaiiian Birther Task Force investigators that supposedly found ‘amazing things.”

    Any candidate ho agrees to the Birther Debate should be heavily ridiculed by the media.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_45S32GWGDRUJIL6E2U4HOZW4BM Bob

    Will Trump the liar finally release his promised tax returns at this event. Or reveal the ‘amazing things’ he said were found by his birther investigators?
    And will the starstruck media bother to call him out on being a pathological liar?

  • http://www.thecitizenreport.com Citizen_Report

    I believe voters deserve and expect every opportunity for substantive debate on policy and issues. Mr. Trump is arguably an exceptional American, but his participation here allows critics the opportunity to chastise the entire event based on his “political baggage”.  As well, with Trump still threatening a Third Party run, it compromises what’s left of the integrity of this process.

    It is up to voting Americans to prove to the candidates for our highest office that we DEMAND higher standards from them and this process. Please sign this online petition to show the candidates we are serious about our country, our issues, and them — and hope they would show us the same respect.

    http://www.thecitizenreport.com/2011/12/petition-gop-candidates-to-decline.html

    http://www.change.org/petitions/gop-candidates-should-decline-invitation-to-newsmax-presidential-debate-moderated-by-donald-trump

  • Anonymous

    Newt’s internal monologue: Donald Trump is called the biggest asshat in the GOP, we’ll see about that!

  • us995

    maybe Obama will finally release his college transcrips at the same event

  • expatpatriot

    Newt, trust me. It’s *not* like Bill Gates called you.

    Bill Gates is never going to call you.

  • expatpatriot

    And of course this highlights those other buttons he’d have his fingers close to if — through some huge cosmic accident — he ended up in the White House.

  • Anonymous

    I loved that “PERP” walk on wall st of the crooks that looted our country from AIG, Lehman, and Bear Stearns! That was awesome! American Justice! OOPS! It never happened! I guess ERIC HOLDER was too busy selling weapons to the Mexican drug cartels. Didnt have time to investigate wall st crooks….. Maxine Waters husband owns a small bank that received 20 million in TARP funds. Charlie Rangel tax evasion? Kerry and his boat docking scandal saving 500,000 docking it in different state than where he lives? Corzine missing 1.5 billion in investor money. Obama wasteing 2 years forcing Obamacare down our throats instead of jobs bills and deficit reform. Pelosi and her husband using insider trading to loot our country. Many other politicians doing the same. And who could forget tim geitners OOPS! I under-payed my taxes? And who could forget the male call-boy service being run out of Barney Franks condo? There all the same ethically. DEN OF THIEVES! But Newt is worse? I think not! Ill vote for him, twice if I can get away with it. Hes the perfect match to preside over that den of thieves!

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_45S32GWGDRUJIL6E2U4HOZW4BM Bob

    People do like to watch a train wreck, and it will be great to see the GOP embarrassment reach a huge audience. Obama will win this thing by default.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_45S32GWGDRUJIL6E2U4HOZW4BM Bob

    Graders are just as stupid as birthers.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_45S32GWGDRUJIL6E2U4HOZW4BM Bob

    When YOU capitalize random WORDs, it makes you LOOK even more INSANE!!!!

  • Anonymous

    We’ve witnessed his performance “consulting” Freddie Mac. Newt is no better, nor worse than the rest. He’s the status quo. I’d have to write someone in as a protest to the whole election.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Linda-Jamison/100000947146817 Linda Jamison

    2 Morons debating & bring in a chimpanzee!! My money is on the chimp.

    “The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution so the second will not become the legalized version of the first.”  -Thomas Jefferson

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiKh9Ko3mw4&feature=player_embedded

    BS about up to here!
    http://static01.mediaite.com/med/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/fr-111202-gingrich-iowa-4a-300×197.jpg

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