Newt Gingrich, a Fox News contributor and former Republican House Speaker, urges former President Trump to adopt a humorous approach in his upcoming debate with President Biden, suggesting it could alleviate concerns about Biden's mental fitness.
Former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich has advised former President Donald Trump to employ humor in his upcoming debate with President Joe Biden, arguing that it could deflect attention away from concerns about Biden's mental fitness.
Gingrich, a Fox News contributor, said Friday on "Fox & Friends" that Biden faces three significant challenges in his re-election bid: concerns about illegal immigration and migrant crime, his perceived mental unfitness, and his administration's left-leaning policies.
Gingrich Offers Humor Strategy for Trump in Biden Debate: Counter Mental Fitness Concerns
"In Biden's case, I think he's got three very different problems," Gingrich said. "One, which you were just talking about in terms of illegal immigration, is he has policies that aren't working. People don't want to have Biden's illegal immigrants raping and killing Americans."
Gingrich added that Biden's far-left appointments and policies have alienated many voters, particularly younger Americans. "People don't want to go to the grocery store and not being able to afford anything," he said. "They look again and again, and the Biden program just doesn't work."
Gingrich Offers Humor Strategy for Trump in Biden Debate: Counter Mental Fitness Concerns
Gingrich then turned to the issue of Biden's mental fitness, which has been the subject of intense scrutiny in recent days. "You get into all sorts of arguments over things like... third grade kids with transgenderism or males competing in women's sports, etc.," he said.
"And then third, if you watch him over time, he clearly has huge cognitive problems," Gingrich added. "The White House can spin it any way they want to, but when you look at case after case, whether it's the Italian prime minister bringing him back into the group or it is President Obama helping him get off-stage, or it's Biden just standing at the Juneteenth festival at the White House and literally looking catatonic... just frozen for about a minute... I think particularly for younger Americans, it's like they're looking not at their grandfather. They're looking at their great-grandfather, and they're saying, 'Gee, can he really be president?'"
Gingrich Offers Humor Strategy for Trump in Biden Debate: Counter Mental Fitness Concerns
Gingrich suggested that Trump could use humor to exploit these concerns, potentially undermining Biden's credibility. "Humor is lethal when it's done well," Gingrich said. "It doesn't work if you're mean-spirited or vicious or bitter. But if you can get a good joke and you can get people laughing, it really takes the sting out of a serious attack."
Gingrich cited a hypothetical exchange between Trump and Biden as an example. "You could say, 'You know, President Biden, I'm not sure what you're going to say tonight. I mean, you might sing the 'Macarena.' You might tell us what it's like to see Santa in a shopping mall at Christmas. We don't know. But I'll tell you what, we're going to have a great time, because we're going to be watching you and we're going to be laughing. And you know why? Because you're making America laugh again.'"
Gingrich emphasized the importance of Trump delivering the joke with sincerity and authenticity. "It's not about being mean-spirited or vicious or bitter," he said. "It's about having a good joke and getting people laughing. And when you do that, it really takes the sting out of a serious attack."
Whether Trump will adopt Gingrich's advice remains to be seen. The upcoming debate is widely anticipated, and could have a significant impact on the 2024 presidential election.
