Former GOP House Speaker Newt Gingrich on Sunday defended Democratic Sen. Al Franken, saying calls for his resignation amid sexual misconduct allegations were “purely and simply hysteria.”
In remarks on Fox News Sunday, the Georgia Republican last week compared the Democratic Party response to the sexual harassment scandal as akin to a lynching.
“He's never faced his accusers,” Gingrich said Sunday. “He's never had to process. He's never had an opportunity to clear his name. Suddenly… the social pressure from the left and the Democratic Party came together, made it inappropriate for him to stay.”
“A million people had elected him and 30 people decided he was inappropriate,” he continued, adding: “This is purely and simply hysteria.”
He said Franken’s resignation may also have been partly political.
“I was told by a reporter who really tries to pay attention to stuff that to some extent the blowback on [California Democratic Rep.] Nancy Pelosi when she tried to defend [Michigan Democratic Rep.] John Conyers was so intense from the left that everybody else on the left said ‘they got it, lynch mobs are in this week, let's go lynch somebody, Franken is available.’
Gingrich said it was “amazing” the veteran comedian-turned-politician “just crumbles under the social pressure.”
“There’s no objective force to kick them out,” he said. “He wasn't going to be expelled. He just couldn’t take the social ostracism.”
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