Newt Gingrich WRONG: Says British Shoe Bomber 'Richard Reid Was An American Citizen' (VIDEO)

***UPDATED***

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich appeared on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Tuesday, leveling harsh criticism against the Obama administration.

After Gingrich assailed the administration for reading Miranda Rights to Detroit undie bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, Stewart drew a comparison to something that happened under George W. Bush.

"Didn't they do the same with Richard Reid, who was the shoe bomber?" he asked the Republican icon.

"Richard Reid was an American citizen," insisted Gingrich.

Reid is actually a British citizen of Jamaican descent.

Stewart started to raise the Miranda Rights issue again, but Gingrich pushed the conversation along.

Later, when Gingrich acknowledged that part of his job is to reach out to the emotions of the American people, Stewart shot back, "I think that's wise. And don't let reality get in the way."

At the end of the show, Stewart realized that Gingrich had falsely claimed the shoe bomber was an American citizen and noted that to his audience.

The relevant portion of the interview begins at the 2:15 mark.

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Comments

[EdGauthier]

12:03 AM on 02/13/2010

Wow, ol' Eye Of Newt is still around? I thought they kicked his sorry butt outta there years ago.

I guess some comedians just never want to retire.

[YouThinkAndTalk]

07:36 PM on 02/12/2010

When you are willing to lie, like Newt was, you don't have the burden of reality weighting you down - is what I am saying 100% sure? - and you can appear so comfortable and sure of yourself while you make a statement that fits you at that time, but may not be true.

And all the people that listen to him see a man sure of himself, and it is very comforting, especially during the present times. It is very hard to face the truth.

"When Gingrich acknowledged that part of his job is to reach out to the emotions of the American people, Stewart shot back, 'I think that's wise. And don't let reality get in the way.'" This is in a nutshell - no pun intended - the way the Republicans act. Skip over the ugly reality, like Healthcare, the wars, the Economy, no jobs, and talk to the emotions, and make people feel good at any cost, because if you described how things really are, they will fall apart.

[larmarch5]

04:57 PM on 02/12/2010

Ha, I saw the partial headline on the side which says:
Newt Gingrich WRONG: Says British Shoe Bomber 'Richard Reid...

So I thought this was a story about Reid being interviewed about Newt's gaffe.

[geekman]

12:56 PM on 02/12/2010

No matter how tragic, no matter how awful, no matter how discomforting, we can't help but watch the video of the car crash or the train wreck. This is why Sarah Palin is still in the spotlight and will continue to get big bucks for speaking/"writing" books/commenting on Faux News. No matter how badly you want to look away, you just can't.

[treadway123]

12:09 PM on 02/12/2010

Fox tots this very lie, especially Hannity! He loves smearing his lies, an laughin in your face when he gets away with it! Thanks Americans are so dumb, they will believe anything he says.

[boinusa]

11:59 AM on 02/12/2010

Rupuplicans go for the convenient lie.

[janvoght]

05:52 PM on 02/12/2010

I wish it was only the convenient lie...unfortunately it is the manufactured deliberate deception that almost took our country down. Remember the WMD lie? That was not a lie of convenience....they wanted war something bad!

[indothinker]

08:04 AM on 02/12/2010

i thought r e i d was jersey?

[SharlyFarley]

07:55 PM on 02/11/2010

What they seem to be missing is stopping the story with "he got read his Miranda rights." With his lawyer at his side, the would-be bomber felt comfortable enough to start singing like a bird. He's actually yielded actionable intelligence. We've been trying to tell you torture doesn't work, and now we have proof.

[bsherman]

09:34 PM on 02/11/2010

Who cares if it's good for our country. If there is political fodder to be made, Republicans will do it regardless of the consequences.

[Blackorpheus]

01:33 AM on 02/12/2010

Between the shoe bomber and the head bomber (Gingrich), I'll take the shoe bomber.

[Tsckey]

07:28 PM on 02/11/2010

Of course, lest we forget, equal rights under the law is a hallmark of our Constitution. All people, citizens or not are entitled to the same protections. But, to hear the Wingers tell it, Jesus was a conservative, Obama is a communist, and the Constitution only protects white people who think like they do.

[Randy262]

06:46 PM on 02/11/2010

Gingrich is an asshat who watches too much Faux News.

[retromega]

06:14 PM on 02/11/2010

I wonder if they read Gingrich his Miranda rights when they 'pretended" to investigate him for putting his girlfriend on the Federal payroll? Remember this is when this model of GOP integrity was busy slagging Clinton for his pecadillo with an unpaid intern. While Newt was making naise as the GOP's moral, and "family values" spokesman he was busy hosing a woman, not his wife, who apparently managed to pass all of Newt's employment tests and was hired for over $50,000 a year for her talents.

These tlaents did not include typing, or thinking but appear to have met other criteria that Newt Gingrich held for employees. He divorced his wife and married the employee. Apparently, part of the prenup had to do with grand jury testimony and the price of said testimony.

The long and short of Newt Gingrich is that there is nothing that ever comes out of his mouth that remotely resembles truth! If you don't believe me, ask any of his wives. If that doesn't give you a clue ask any of his children. If that doesn't do it for you ask Sarah Pallin, or better yet Todd. He'll clue you in unless the check cleared!

[searles7]

05:40 PM on 02/11/2010

We see so much of this that one wonders what it will take for the whiners to stop crying about Obama and start jacking his butt up to do what needs to be done, because he is all we got and the closest thing to an honest politician that we have been able to come up with. The threats not to vote for him or to vote the Dems out is tantamount to suicide. But since we are talking about the well being of an entire country, maybe we ought to upgrade that to genocide. Think about that next time you want to whine about Obama. Or maybe you would prefer "Newt Baby".

[baltimoreandy]

04:12 PM on 02/11/2010

THIS WITCH IS MAKING BIG MONEY, RIGHT IN OUR FACES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[doublels]

04:07 PM on 02/11/2010

Newt wasn't ''wrong'', he lied, plain & simple.

[searles7]

05:31 PM on 02/11/2010

And they do it for breakfast lunch and dinner. Plus those who vote for the "infidels" :-) just keep rationalizing it ,......somehow! I wish I could say that I'm just missing something, but the truth is that these people are just "EVIL!".

[DWSouthern]

05:01 PM on 02/12/2010

Newt was more than wrong. He is a disgrace to the country. A man who served in one of the highest offices in the land and thinks himself presidential timber has shown he doesn't even know how our legal system works. All people arrested in the US are subject to American civilian law, not just citizens of this country. This is true in all countries that claim to be sovereign. We would scream to high heaven if an American citizen who was arrested in a foreign country was tried in a kangaroo military court. Newt may actually know better but lied to make his fradualent case against Obama. Either way he is a disgrace.

[Sara Wilson]

12:00 PM on 02/11/2010

This is the Prime example of how the Republicans Lie....he Knew what he was saying, and MSM should call them on these Lies...since it appears that America has a very high rate of Ignorance.

[spartacus275]

02:36 PM on 02/11/2010

You are sooo right, this people have no shame when it comes to lying to score political points. The American people need to see these people for what & who they are - THIS YEAR and the best way to do this is with VIDEO TAPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Are you listening DNC??????????????????????

[searles7]

05:32 PM on 02/11/2010

You don't get it, almost 50% of the American electorate defend these people's lies. This is truly frightening.