Newt Gingrich: House Jan. 6 hearings are 'Stalinist show trial' that won't impact midterms

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich described the Jan. 6 House Select Committee's series of public hearings as a "Stalinist show trial" that won't have "any impact" ahead of the midterm elections.

Former President Trump has said that he would have liked to see House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy appoint a second set of Republicans to the committee after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejected two of his choices. McCarthy eventually pulled all of his picks off the committee.

"Unfortunately, a bad decision was made," Trump said in June. "This committee was a bad decision, not to have representation on that committee. That was a very, very foolish decision because, you know, they try and pretend like they're legit, and only when you get into the inner workings you say, 'What kind of a thing is this? It's just a one-sided witch hunt.'"

Gingrich was asked if he agreed with Trump's view on McCarthy withdrawing his GOP choices for the committee.

"I'm not getting into that," he replied during an interview at the America First Policy Institute's America First Agenda Summit on Tuesday. 

Gingrich was asked if he thinks the Republican Party is losing the narrative as a result of the committee's public hearings. "No, I think the committee is a joke," he said. "I think it is essentially a Stalinist show trial. And I think it's net effect in the long run is zero."

Gingrich told Just the News that he does not think House Republicans need to form a separate Jan. 6 committee to call their own witnesses.