Callista Gingrich's potential Vatican ambassadorship has encountered more hurdles than just the Office of Government Ethics. A person familiar with the decision told Axios that President Trump himself is "reluctant to send Callista to the Vatican because he likes seeing her husband Newt defending him on TV."
Callista Gingrich is Newt Gingrich's third wife; she helped him convert to Catholicism in 2009, and she sings in the choir at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington. While Trump once joked that he was "intrigued by the idea of picking Ms. Gingrich because it could also get Mr. Gingrich ... out of his hair," Callista did ultimately beat out Rick Santorum for the spot, The New York Times writes.
As for the issue of losing a loyal defender? "Our source told the president they were sure satellite hook-ups could be arranged for Newt at the Holy See," Axios reports.
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