Newt Gingrich Hobnobs With Boris Johnson at McCarthy’s Capitol Office
LADS ON TOUR
Spotted strolling into the office suite of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday was none other than Newt Gingrich, a former speaker who insisted to a gaggle of reporters that he was “just here as a tourist.” Asked by a journalist if he was planning to meet with McCarthy, Gingrich responded “I don’t know” without breaking stride, according to footage of the encounter. It was unclear exactly why Gingrich, who served as speaker from 1995 to 1999, had descended on Capitol Hill, but his visit comes a day before McCarthy’s first big meeting as speaker with President Joe Biden. Tensions have flared ahead of the Wednesday one-on-one at the White House, with administration officials circulating a memo demanding that the GOP commit to avoiding a federal debt default. In response, McCarthy tweeted on Tuesday morning, “Mr. President... I’m not interested in political games. I’m coming to negotiate for the American people.” Also present at the Capitol on Tuesday was former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who met with Republican leadership to lobby for continued support of Ukraine, according to The Hill. Gingrich and Johnson apparently ran into one another in the building, with the former sharing a photo of the two of them beaming at one another on Twitter.