Jon Stewart Rips Newt Gingrich For Flip-Flopping On 'Meet The Press' Statements (VIDEO)

On Wednesday night's "Daily Show" Jon Stewart once again mocked the only foreseeable Republican candidate for the 2012 Presidential race as of late, Newt Gingrich.

While Gingrich is not a political newcomer by any means, now that he's officially announced his candidacy it's time to make a new first impression. Supporters like Rudy Guiliani have dubbed him an intellectual, even "one of the smartest people in America," and maybe he aimed to prove that to his conservative base on his recent "Meet The Press" appearance.

Well, things didn't exactly go to plan. Gingrich surprised everyone when he made the remarkably moderate statement that the Rep. Paul Ryan's GOP Medicare bill is as "radical" as the left's. Stewart couldn't believe what he was hearing:

"Wow. [He's] appealing to the moderate wing of the Republican Party, a wing which as you know has been closed for renovation since Nelson Rockefeller died."

But the moderateness wouldn't last for long. Conservative pundits had a fit over Gingrich's comments and suggested he was "urinating inside the family circle" and had "detonated his candidacy." Instead of standing by his statements, Gingrich placed the blame on "Meet The Press," saying it was a "set-up" and implying that David Gregory had somehow tricked him into saying Ryan's plan was radical. He even said, "any ad which quotes what I said on Sunday is a falsehood."

"You know I've always said the hallmark of an honest conversation starts with, 'If you quote me directly utilizing videotape of my comments in context, you're lying'," Stewart said.

Watch the rest of the segment to see hear Stewart's reaction to Newt's first campaign trail meet-and-greets, which haven't exactly been going very smoothly (although they have been sparkly).

WATCH:

Comments

[Jr Palmer]

10:40 AM on 05/29/2011

They they goverment should leave things alone. They bankrupt the soc sercurty system when they took it out of the trust fund it was set up in and then they passed laws for them selfs with bennifits that are illegal read actical 28 if the us contation it is illegal for them to pass a law that makes us live under one set of laws and another one for them so all thier ritirerment and health care is illegal they need to be put back under the socil sercurty like we are under and they need to be under the same health care they want us under and make term limets that they can hold office nno more then two terms and only pay them when they are in sassion and may the presdent and honer more them a pay postion with noe retirement

[HeyTheist]

01:47 AM on 05/24/2011

After all I have seen regarding Newt (and I remember his tenure as Speaker), I am fairly sure that the republicans will nominate him. You see, the majority of republicans have no clue who Newt really is, they just recognize the name. To that I say WHOOOHOOO! The republicans have no chance in 2012.

[afgail]

01:33 AM on 05/24/2011

I didn't say what I said, and if you say I said it you are a liar. Gingrich's mouth works like a garbage disposal in reverse. Words go in and garbage comes out.

[Dogwithoutaleash]

10:30 AM on 05/22/2011

I think Newt did much more damage to his campaign by flip-flopping on one of the first reasonable things he has said in a long time and then blaming the interviewer for "setting him up" than he did by saying it in the first place

[separatingwheatfromchaff]

12:04 AM on 05/22/2011

Where the video??????????????

[Immadeus]

12:07 AM on 05/21/2011

Very sad and pathetic.."i am sorry" this is the guy who wants to be president. heck Clinton refused to go the pathetic route after Monica.
quote me and i shall call you a lair,

[LarrBerr]

04:05 PM on 05/20/2011

"any ad which quotes what I said on Sunday is a falsehood."
"That was not meant as a factual statement"
Well at least the reps have started admitting they are lying. They've just starting trying to pretty it up with confusing excuses.

[ZenCrusader]

02:26 PM on 05/20/2011

Dear HuffPO. Your readers are international. WHY would you post video's that you have to physically be in the USA to see ? You are indirectly encouraging a large segment of your readers to look elsewhere for content, as if the embarrasingly bad AOL content isn't enough.

[Pennsylvanianne]

07:01 PM on 05/21/2011

FYI: Sitting here in the good old Keystone State, even I can't view the video. It is just one big black rectangle that refuses to respond to clicks and various incantations. So it isn't you, Zen, it's HuffPo and AOL. The site hasn't been the same since it was sold.

[Dogwithoutaleash]

10:28 AM on 05/22/2011

I'm in Minnesota and I had no problem with the video. Are you sure there isn't a problem with your own software in your own computer? I would say that is much more likely. Just sayin'.

[Nelle]

01:18 PM on 05/20/2011

I bet nobody's gonna get this rap reference that applies to Newt Gingrich's campaign:
Self destruction, you're headed for self destruction...

[artiedodger]

12:15 PM on 05/20/2011

Newt's self-destuction leaves the Repugnicans in a cesspool for candidates. I suggest they nominate the Koch Bros. They already own half of congress & the Supremely Stupid Court. It would only take a few billion more to buy the rest of govt. If each one of us bought just one roll of Brawney paper towels, I think the Kochs would do it.

[pezdrake]

10:29 AM on 05/23/2011

They'd have to give up too much power to be President.

[Mystic01]

11:47 AM on 05/20/2011

Newt is a /y1ng M0ph0.

[Abelardo Perez]

09:38 AM on 05/20/2011

stewart should run for office

[manofmystique]

08:43 AM on 05/20/2011

How can a man who doesn't want you to take his words literally, want you to listen to what he has to say as a President? Obama has caused these hypocrites to go completely nuts. Gingrich goes from bad to worse when he talks, in the meantime Gingrich makes absolutely no sense, none at all. He wants the American people to believe his words were taken out of context and he wants us to believe he did not mean what he said at the same time.
Then this idiot, and liar, said he was not referring to Ryan's plan, even though the question was about Ryan's plan.
Then Gingrich apologized to Ryan for NOT talking about Ryan's Plan. All those people who think Gingrich is a "smart" man should have their head examined.
Gingrich is NOT a smart man. If he was so smart he would know how to handle a situation without making it worse.
No, Gingrich is a weak, educated, but devious man, willing to say and do anything to further his political aspirations.

[Cream of the PLANETEARTH]

07:48 AM on 05/20/2011

Love him or hate him! whichever you choose, just understand that John Stewart will expose the crap out of you in short order!

[Sepulchre]

07:47 AM on 05/20/2011

See he violate the cardinal rule among Republicans, he disagreed with them. That is unforgivable to them. They can forgive any number of marital indiscretions, secessionists, believers in witchcraft, et. But never ever can anyone of them ever say another Republican is wrong. They have no idea how sad and self destructive within itself walking in lock step can be. They won't look at any of the historic examples either, because education is 'elitist'.

[AllyCat7]

04:08 PM on 05/24/2011

Beyond well said.