Newt Gingrich Will Return To Fox News Despite Trump Job Promise

Newt Gingrich will reportedly return to Fox News as a contributor despite Donald Trump’s promise that Gingrich would have a job in his potential administration.

The Hill’s Joe Concha reported that “Gingrich will be returning to Fox News as a contributor” and will be “exclusive to Fox News starting on Monday, Aug. 1, according to a source close to the situation.” The Hollywood Reporter confirmed the report with a Fox News representative.

Fox News suspended Gingrich’s contract two weeks ago “due to the intense media speculation about Gingrich’s potential selection” as Trump’s running mate and “to avoid all conflicts of interest that may arise.” Fox’s announcement made little sense at the time, since Gingrich had for months used his platform on the network to promote Trump’s candidacy and essentially audition for a spot on the ticket; the network cut his contract mere days before Trump announced his running mate. While he wasn’t chosen as Trump’s vice presidential nominee, there is still a glaring conflict for Gingrich as a commentator.

As CNN’s Brian Stelter noted, earlier this month Trump “essentially promised Gingrich a job” during an Ohio rally, “saying, ‘in one form or another, Newt Gingrich will be part of our government.’ That means if Gingrich is not Trump's running mate, he could be in line for a cabinet position -- further complicating his status as a TV talking head.”

Fox News also employs contributor Walid Phares while Trump's campaign pays him $13,000 a month for “policy consulting.” Phares regularly appears on the network to boost Trump on foreign policy issues.

Fox News contributor Stephen Moore is also an economic adviser to the Trump campaign, and Fox Business host Anthony Scaramucci is a member of Trump's national finance committee.

Gingrich’s media career has been full of ethical violations, outrageous comments, and email scams.