Pundits and Journos Roast Gingrich for Slagging Pro-Trump Lawyers Sidney Powell and Lin Wood: ‘Chavez Got to Newt’
Former House speaker Newt Gingrich drew mockery from the political media Twitterverse after deeming lawyers Lin Wood and Sidney Powell a political liability for conservatives.
The two pro-Trump attorneys held a wild “Stop the Steal” rally Wednesday in Georgia, where they recycled numerous conspiracy theories, demanded Republican Governor Brian Kemp be locked up, and suggested people shouldn’t even bother voting in another “rigged election” when the state’s Republican senate candidates head into their runoffs. The anti-get-out-and-vote message from Wood earned him a repudiation from Team Trump, and as for Powell, her legal endeavors have seen continued mockery ever since she was pushed out of the president’s legal corps.
In recent days, Gingrich has claimed that the 2020 election was “stolen,” plus Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger are “subsidiaries of Stacey Abrams.” In response to Powell and Wood, however, Gingrich called them both “totally destructive” and said “their don’t vote strategy will cripple America.”
Lin Wood and Sidney Powell are totally destructive. Every Georgia conservative who cares about America MUST vote in the runoff. Their dont vote strategy will cripple America
— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) December 3, 2020
This drew the attention of CNBC’s Carl Quintanilla, who knocked on Gingrich with a spin of Powell’s frequent claims about Hugo Chavez.
Chavez got to Newt. https://t.co/f4daAL21zY
— Carl Quintanilla (@carlquintanilla) December 3, 2020
Quintanilla was hardly alone in reacting to Gingrich this way. Many other political observers took to Twitter to laugh over Powell’s conspiracy theories, comment on the friendly fire, or to say that Gingrich is seeing what happens when false information damages public faith in America’s institutions:
Chavez got to Newt too https://t.co/ph5bKEpKJB
— David Frum (@davidfrum) December 3, 2020
Looks like Dominion’s operatives replaced Newt with a CIA hologram. You hate to see it. https://t.co/7z2XeLUjla
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) December 3, 2020
Don’t listen to Newt! Chavez is stealing your votes! https://t.co/swTBNtFhAv
— Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) December 3, 2020
This is what happens when your entire strategy is making conspiracy theories a mass movement.
— Morten Øverbye (@morten) December 3, 2020
Why it’s as if this collection of unearthed body parts that was stitched together in a lab has become some sort of Frankenstein’s monster
— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) December 3, 2020
“Totally destructive” — but not because of their baseless, wild claims that undermine American democracy. It’s because they are telling Republicans not to vote. https://t.co/XEx1VMaF1m
— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) December 3, 2020
We’re at the part of the story where the monster has started attacking Dr. Frankenstein. Igor Gingrich is begging it to stop.
It’s simultaneously terrifying and hilarious to behold. https://t.co/EttEDZHDBD
— Matthew Sheffield (@mattsheffield) December 3, 2020
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. https://t.co/gL0hHtXvJ5
— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) December 3, 2020
Amazing people don’t say a peep about the threats of violence, but OH NOES the Senate! If Mitch McConnell isn’t leader, that’s what will cripple America! https://t.co/5FF1rAwPRR
— Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) December 3, 2020
Here’s the thing about populism. You encourage it and think you can exploit it and channel it to advance your own political objectives, and then it blows up in your face. This has been true throughout history. https://t.co/ILVKx93NAx
— Philip Klein (@philipaklein) December 3, 2020
