Editing Newt Gingrich (section)

=== 2016 election ===
{{Main|Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign}}
Gingrich supported [[Donald Trump]] more quickly than many other establishment Republicans.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9783319619750|title=The Unprecedented 2016 Presidential Election {{!}} Rachel Bitecofer {{!}} Palgrave Macmillan|work=SpringerLink |pages=146|access-date=October 6, 2018|archive-date=October 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181006195605/https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9783319619750|url-status=live}}</ref> After having consulted for Trump's 2016 campaign, Gingrich [[List of Republicans who opposed the Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign|encouraged his fellow Republicans to unify behind Trump]], who had by then become the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.<ref>{{cite news|url= http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/03/23/revealed-newt-gingrich-s-secret-trump-campaign.html|title=Revealed: Newt Gingrich's Secret Campaign for Donald Trump |access-date= May 9, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161105000749/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/03/23/revealed-newt-gingrich-s-secret-trump-campaign.html|archive-date=November 5, 2016|newspaper=[[The Daily Beast]] |date=March 24, 2016 |last1=Mak |first1=Tim }}</ref> Gingrich reportedly figured among Trump's [[2016 Republican Party vice presidential candidate selection|final three choices to be his running mate]];<ref name="VP">{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/team-trump-plans-public-event-friday-vp-pick-n608161 |title=Team Trump Plans Public Event Friday With VP Pick |last=O'Donnell |first=Kelly |date=July 12, 2016 |work=[[NBC News]] |access-date=July 12, 2016 |archive-date=August 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190823104825/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/team-trump-plans-public-event-friday-vp-pick-n608161 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/05/donald-trump-vice-president-betting-odds |title=Bookmakers Say These Are Trump's Top 7 V.P. Picks |website=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] |date=May 6, 2016 |access-date=May 9, 2016|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161027192630/http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/05/donald-trump-vice-president-betting-odds |archive-date=October 27, 2016}}</ref> the position ultimately went to [[Governor of Indiana]] [[Mike Pence]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/07/14/10-things-you-should-know-about-mike-pence-who-may-join-donald-trump-on-the-gop-ticket/ |title=Who is Mike Pence? |first1=Amber |last1=Phillips |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=December 8, 2016 |archive-date=December 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191213142632/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/07/14/10-things-you-should-know-about-mike-pence-who-may-join-donald-trump-on-the-gop-ticket/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:President Trump, Newt Gingrich, and Callista Gingrich 2017.jpg|thumb|Gingrich and his wife alongside President [[Donald Trump]] in October 2017]]

Following Trump's victory in the presidential election, speculation arose concerning Gingrich as a possible secretary of state, chief of staff or advisor.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Chapman |first1=Dan |title=Newt Gingrich role in Trump cabinet? |url=http://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/role-for-newt-gingrich-trump-administration/aA3Drp5jFlwPVhlhmGhZJM |access-date=November 15, 2016 |work=ajc |date=November 9, 2016 |archive-date=November 14, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161114234027/http://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/role-for-newt-gingrich-trump-administration/aA3Drp5jFlwPVhlhmGhZJM/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Eventually, Gingrich announced that he would not be serving in the cabinet. He stated that he didn't have the interest in serving in any role related to the Trump administration, stressing that as a private citizen he would engage with individuals for "strategic planning" rather than job-seeking.<ref name="McClatchyDC">{{cite news |url=http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/election/article115388678.html |title=Newt Gingrich says he will not be in Trump Cabinet |date=November 17, 2016 |work=McClatchy DC |last1=Hall |access-date=November 17, 2016 |archive-date=November 18, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118001740/http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/election/article115388678.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In May 2017, he promoted a conspiracy theory that Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party had [[Seth Rich]], an employee for the [[Democratic National Committee]], killed during the 2016 presidential race.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/05/21/gingrich-spreads-conspiracy-theory-about-slain-dnc-staffer/ |title=Gingrich spreads conspiracy theory about slain DNC staffer |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=May 21, 2017 |archive-date=May 21, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170521155708/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/05/21/gingrich-spreads-conspiracy-theory-about-slain-dnc-staffer/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Gingrich attended his wife's swearing-in as [[List of ambassadors of the United States to the Holy See|U.S. ambassador to the Holy See]] at the White House in October 2017.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/19/politics/callista-gingrich-vatican-ambassador/index.html |work=[[CNN]]|title=Callista Gingrich to be nominated as ambassador to Vatican |date=May 19, 2017 |access-date=November 1, 2017 |archive-date=November 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107031420/http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/19/politics/callista-gingrich-vatican-ambassador/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> According to journalist Robert Mickens, Newt Gingrich served as the de facto ambassador or the "shadow ambassador" while Callista Gingrich, as paraphrased by McKay Coppins of ''[[The Atlantic]]'', "is generally viewed as the ceremonial face of the embassy".<ref name=CoppinsMcKayGingrich>{{cite web|last=Coppins|first=McKay|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/11/newt-gingrich-says-youre-welcome/570832/|title=The Man Who Broke Politics|work=[[The Atlantic]]|date=November 2018}}</ref>