Skip to main content
Opinion

Gingrich backs Tom Cruise for President

Newt Gingrich Former House Speaker; Chairman of Gingrich 360
Share

Although he hasn’t made it official yet, President Joe Biden is sending signals that he is running for re-election in 2024, despite a New York Times poll finding 64% of Democrats hope someone else becomes their nominee. With Trump always a possibility as the Republican nominee, the 2024 race will be a dog fight and many Democrats are seriously considering other names to improve their prospects. Straight Arrow News contributor Newt Gingrich is thinking outside the box on behalf of the Democrats — for example — one of the biggest movie stars in the world:

I recently talked about the idea that it would be kind of fun to have Tom Cruise run for president. Now, people may think that that’s off the wall. But remember, Donald Trump was in real estate — he’d never held public office before. Ronald Reagan was an actor who’d made two movies with chimpanzees. Jimmy Carter was a peanut farmer and nuclear engineer. I mean, who knows where these people come from? Barack Obama had won the Senate seat for one term, not been reelected, yet, wrote a best selling book and suddenly ran for president and beat Hillary Clinton, who, by the way, had been running for president for about 30 years at that point. So you never can tell what’ll happen.

Now, why did I come up with Tom Cruise?

Well, first of all, “Top Gun Maverick” is far and away the biggest winner this summer. Apparently, I think almost half of all movie tickets are people going to see “Top Gun Maverick,” including, I’m told by some of my friends, people who’ve gone several times, buying popcorn, sitting there, being excited, being able now to recite the dialogue.

I was shocked — and I shouldn’t have been — but Tom Cruise was 24. Now that’s not a bad age for a naval aviator, but the idea that an actor of 24 could carry a movie of that scale — very impressive.

So why would I say Tom Cruise for President?

Well, you’re the Democrats, you’re desperate to win. Everybody knows that you’ve goofed up a war. You’re confused about America, you are surrounded by a bunch of people who are kind of really strange, and you’d like to appear to be normal. What could be more normal than Maverick? What can be more pro-American than Navy fighter pilots? What can be more exciting than the kind of movies that we make on our very best?

So I thought to myself, “why not?” I mean, if your choice was going to be Kamala Harris or Tom Cruise, or if your choice is going to be the current governor of California, one of the genuine nudniks ever to run for office — and a guy who I hope never gets within 3000 miles of the White House — or Tom Cruise, why not?

I recently talked about the idea that it would be kind of fun to have Tom Cruise run for president. Now, people may think that that’s off the wall. But remember, Donald Trump was in real estate he’d never held public office before. Ronald Reagan was an actor who’d made two movies with chimpanzees. Jimmy Carter was a peanut farmer, nuclear engineer. I mean, who knows where these people come from? Barack Obama had won the Senate seat for one term, not been reelected, yet. Wrote a best selling book and suddenly ran for president and beat Hillary Clinton, who, by the way, been running for president for about 30 years at that point, so you never can tell what’ll happen. Now. Why did I come up with Tom Cruise? Well, first of all,

Top Gun Maverick is far and away the biggest winner this summer. Apparently, I think almost half of all movie tickets. Are people going to see Top Gun Maverick, including I’m told by some of my friends, people who’ve gone several times, buying popcorn, sitting there being excited, being able now to recite the dialogue.

Close and I got ready to see Top Gun Maverick. Because we went back and watched Top Gun, which I recommend highly if you haven’t seen it, or if you haven’t seen it since 1986. I’ll tell you one little secret.

I was shocked and I shouldn’t have been. But Tom Cruise was 24. Now that’s not a bad age for a naval aviator. But the idea that an actor of 24 could carry a movie of that scale. Very impressive. So why would I say Tom Cruise for President? Well, you’re the Democrats, you’re desperate to win. Everybody knows that you’re goofed up of a war. You’re confused about America, you are surrounded by a bunch of people who are kind of really strange. And you’d like to appear to be normal. What could be more normal than Maverick? What can be more pro American than Navy fighter pilots? What can be more exciting than the kind of movies that we make on our very best? So I thought to myself, why not? I mean, if your choice was going to be Kamala Harris, or Tom Cruise, bingo, more of your choice is going to be the current governor of California, one of the genuine Nud-nixs ever to run for office, and a guy who I hope never gets within 3000 miles of the White House, or Tom Cruise, why not?

Now, Cruise would have a problem.

You know, he’s pro defense, tough being a Democrat and being pro defense. He’s for shooting down the bad guys. tough being a Democrat and being aggressive about hurting bad guys. I mean, unlike a lot of the Democratic district attorneys who actually kind of like President like to take make sure that the prisoners are alright, and that the innocent go to jail. Cruz would actually be against the bad guys. Now, whether or not a pro defense, pro military, anti bad guy candidate could win for president as a Democrat. I don’t know. But I think he’d be a lot more fun than Kamala Harris. So I’m sticking with my goal.

 

More from Newt Gingrich