Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich Wednesday slammed former President George W. Bush and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush — as well as Ohio Gov. John Kasich — for refusing to participate in this week's Republican National Convention in the governor's home state.
"Jeb Bush who was a great reform governor of Florida and a terrific person," Gingrich, who had been vetted as vice presidential candidate by Donald Trump, began in an interview with Jamie Gangel on CNN. "Raised more money than anyone else — ran a very traditional race and lost.
"Now, the Republican Party has been so good to the Bush family, going all the way back to the '70s," he continued. "That there is some sense of helping the team because it is the team.
"It is a team that made him president. It is a team that made him governor."
The three said they would not attend the convention in a rebuke to Trump, who was officially nominated as the party's presidential candidate on Tuesday.
Gingrich said that Kasich "has a whole different problem" because the four-day event was being held in Ohio.
"This is Cleveland. This is his home state. There are thousands of people coming to visit.
"The least he could've done is shown up the first night, never mention Donald Trump — and said: 'I just want to on behalf of the people of Ohio welcome you. I hope you have wonderful convention' and walked off.
"That's all he had to do," he said.
Gangel then asked whether the Republicans were being sore losers and Gingrich responded: "I think they're being silly."
He also added that Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, whom Trump also defeated in the primaries, "probably" will endorse the nominee in his speech later Wednesday at the Quicken Loans Arena.
"It would be good for him to endorse him. It would be good for Ted's own career. I think the place will go wild if he doesn't.
"But Cruz is a very effective public speaker. I am sure he has a message that will be powerful — and he knows how to play an audience, and he knows this audience.
"This audience just overwhelmingly nominated Donald Trump," Gingrich added. "For people to come in here and not be for Donald Trump is a little silly."
In response to a question on whether Cruz will endorse the nominee, the former Georgia congressman answered "probably."
"But Ted is an independent person," he added. "I can tell you one thing: I am confident he'll explain why I would never vote for Hillary."
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