Was Newt Gingrich Really a Birther?

No, while Newt Gingrich did cast certain accusations about Barack Obama during his presidency, he was not as involved in the birther movement as Donald Trump. Unlike Trump, who kiênly promoted the false theory that Obama was born in Kenya, Gingrich chose not to go with the flow and seemed to eventually let the matter drop.

Political Irrelevance

However, it is well-known that Gingrich accused Obama of being a “Kenyan colonial.” This reputation further cements him as someone who, despite his past influence, is now politically irrelevant to our times. In fact, he frequently launches verbal grenades into the political discourse, hoping to claw back some attention. While the media provides brief coverage out of nostalgia for his time as the Speaker of the House, he often portrays himself as a symbol of disruption or as an eccentric character.
To a point, if one looks up the term 'wackadoodle' in the dictionary, Gingrich's image could signify its definition.

Anti-Obama Accusations

Following the resolution of the birther issue, Gingrich continued to voice anti-Obama sentiments. He claimed that Obama was more Kenyan than American due to his upbringing in Kenya. He also disputed the notion that birtherism was a form of racism. Below is a quote from an interview with the National Review:

I think he worked very hard at being a person who is normal, reasonable, moderate, bipartisan, transparent, accommodating – none of which was true. In the Alinsky tradition, he was being the person he needed to be in order to achieve the position he needed to achieve . . . He was authentically dishonest.

Gingrich's Role in the Birther Movement

It is worth noting that while both Newt Gingrich and Hillary Clinton originally introduced the idea of questioning Obama’s place of birth, it was Trump who actively promoted the birtherism. It was Trump's persistence in this matter that eventually led Obama to publish his birth certificate, with most Photoshop experts agreeing that the document was a phony or doctored online version. Various newspapers highlighted Obama's Kenyan birth and his unique status as the first Kenyan to serve in Congress. Further investigation by Sheriff Joe Arpaio and others, as well as numerous lawsuits, brought the issue to public attention. However, court rulings indicated that no one had legal standing to sue.

In conclusion, while Newt Gingrich was involved in some anti-Obama rhetoric and was part of the initial questioning, his level of involvement and persistence in birtherism was far less than both Trump and Clinton. His influence in this matter was largely overshadowed by the significant efforts of both Trump and Clinton in propagating the birther movement.