Newt Gingrich says if asked, he's open to being House speaker again

(Image credit: T.J. Kirkpatrick/Getty Images)

He served as speaker of the House from 1995 to 1999, and Newt Gingrich said he's willing to do it again — if begged.

"If you were to say to me 218 have called you up and given you their pledge, obviously no citizen could ever turn down that kind of challenge," he said Thursday on Sean Hannity's radio show, after Hannity pressed the issue of a potential return. He also likened himself to a modern-day version of our first president: "This is why George Washington came out of retirement," he said. "Because there are moments you can't avoid."

Gingrich, who resigned from his speaker post following an ethics violation, made his remarks hours after House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy announced he was dropping his bid to replace outgoing Speaker John Boehner. Gingrich said it's more likely he will instead offer guidance to the Republican conference as a consultant. "It would be more practical" to meet with GOP members "and try to help them think this through," he said. "I think this is a conference-wide problem." There's a Clinton running for president and a Bush running for president, so why not bring Gingrich back for a complete '90s takeover.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.