I admire Senator Jeff Sessions greatly, as does Mike Stopa today, but I think Donald Trump will choose Newt Gingrich as his running mate and, if the ticket wins, senior advisor.

Trump wants to shake up Washington, and so does Newt. And Newt’s done that before, with the Contract with America and Republican control of the House. Newt sees the big picture and has guts. Where Trump’s style is vivid and punchy, Newt can elaborate on themes, bring in policy expertise, and produce prose meeting the standards of the punditocracy.

In The Art of the Deal, Trump tells us he always tries to find the best expert in the world on a subject, when undertaking a big project. Someone who has already done it.  Newt launched a Congress-based change in DC politics when his Contract With America led the Republicans to a majority in 1994, and changed the course of the Clinton presidency, bringing balanced budgets and economic growth with fiscal responsibility. 

Newt provides Trump with an inside track on working with Congress, which is certain to be a major challenge of his presidency. And Newt has been around national security issues for two decades, making his counsel of value to Trump. 

I think that in the end Trump will go with his gut, and his gut will tell him that Newt is brilliant, thinks big, knows a lot of the right people, and can help avoid messes with Congress, the media, foreign policy issues, and much more. Newt covers a lot of the skill sets that are new to Trump and necessary for success in governing. They are a natural team.