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Newt Gingrich Maps Out Strategy To Put Trump And GOP Over The Top In 2026

Newt Gingrich Maps Out A Strategy He Says Can Put Trump And GOP Over The Top In 2026 (Screenshot/Fox Business)

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich laid out a clear roadmap for Republicans Thursday, saying  President Donald Trump’s discipline and manner of delivering his message will decide whether the GOP converts short-term success into a lasting governing majority in 2026.

Trump delivered a prime-time address from the White House Wednesday that focused largely on the economy. During an interview on “Kudlow,” Gingrich said Trump’s concise 20-minute address offered a model the party must follow, contrasting it with the president’s longer and meandering speeches.

“If President Trump spends 2026 as effectively as he spent 20 minutes last night, then I think by the time we get to the election most of the Republican candidates and most of the Republican volunteers will have learned the lessons,” Gingrich told host Larry Kudlow. “And remember, [former U.S. President Ronald] Reagan’s great strength, [former British Prime Minister Margaret] Thatcher’s great strength, was ideas, getting people to understand that a better world was possible, that it was a principled, better world, not just random luck.”

If Trump approaches 2026 with the same focus, Gingrich said, Republican candidates and volunteers will win competitive races. 

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“People who want to be part of a movement have to have a leader who is teaching them where the movement’s going, what its principles are. And I would hope that next year that President Trump will give a series of very structured speeches around key areas to literally educate the base of the party and the base of the movement. The fact is, I think we’re going to be in a boom,” Gingrich added. “I think that we’re going to gain seats next year. I’m actually very optimistic. But I think your point, which is fundamental, Reagan in the end didn’t change the Republican Party. Thatcher in the end didn’t change the Conservative Party.”

Gingrich’s view reflects a long-standing conservative belief that durable political movements hinge on clear, disciplined ideas rather than personality alone, a point highlighted by Reagan’s 1964 “A Time for Choosing” speech, which helped launch him into national prominence after he articulated a coherent small-government vision for the GOP.

By contrast, Trump’s extended rallies and free-wheeling speeches have energized his base but at times muddled his economic message, complicating GOP efforts to appeal to independent and swing voters concerned about affordability. This is according to a recent analysis of voters’ attitudes. Some Republican pollsters and political analysts suggest Trump’s extended, rally-style remarks energize the base but confuse independent and swing voters.

(Featured Image Media Credit: Screenshot/Fox Business)