Newt Gingrich isn’t ruling out a 2016 presidential run.
“I don’t rule it out, but we’re not spending any energy on it,” Gingrich told reporters this morning at a National Review briefing on Capitol Hill.
He is, however, continuing to speak in the early primary states. Gingrich, a 69-year-old former House speaker, will head to South Carolina later this month. He will visit the state from April 29 to May 2 for an energy roundtable and other events.
“I would like to be somebody who plays a role in developing a new generation of ideas,” Gingrich said, though he acknowledged that a new crop of presidential candidates will likely emerge.
But Gingrich isn’t ready to leave the arena. He is busy with Gingrich Productions, which is producing an upcoming film on Billy Graham. He also continues to write books, publish educational material, and advise GOP leaders.
Gingrich, a former Georgia congressman, won the South Carolina Republican primary last year and remains a favorite of Palmetto State conservatives.