Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich promised conservatives on Tuesday he would ask former U.N. Ambassador John R. Bolton to be his secretary of state if he’s elected president next year, according to several of those who met with him.
Hours later he repeated that vow publicly to the Republican Jewish Coalition, winning a round of applause.
“If he accepts it, I will ask John Bolton to be secretary of state,” said the former House speaker, who national polls show has vaulted to the top of the Republican presidential field and leads in three of the first four states that will vote for the next Republican nominee.
During the closed-door meeting in Arlington, Mr. Gingrich spoke and fielded questions for about two hours from 70 conservatives, and many said afterward that they came away impressed.
“The fact that he asked for that meeting” shows that “he understands the value of that movement,” said Amy Kremer, head of the Tea Party Express, who attended the conservative gathering.
Many of the conservative leaders in attendance have been looking for a candidate to endorse in the run-up to the GOP primary season, which begins in less than a month. Others said that, while they likely won’t endorse anyone, they wanted to take the measure of Mr. Gingrich, who has a long and sometimes rocky history with the movement.
Asked by one questioner how he could assure conservatives he would be trustworthy, Mr. Gingrich volunteered that he would tap Mr. Bolton, a hero to conservatives who served President George W. Bush first as the State Department’s top nonproliferation official and then as an outspoken ambassador to the United Nations. Mr. Bolton’s strong views and skepticism of multilateral bodies like the United Nations, and Mr. Bush named him as a recess appointment to the U.N. ambassadorship after Senate Democrats refused to confirm him.
Mr. Gingrich’s statement that Mr. Bolton would be his pick to head the State Department drew applause from the conservatives.
“John Bolton is certainly extremely well thought of by those in the conservative movement who care about national security, and I would certainly love to see him as secretary of state,” said Gary Bauer, president of American Values and a leading social conservative.
Mr. Bolton has not endorsed anyone in the race and his office said it was unlikely he would comment on Mr. Gingrich’s invitation to serve.
In his meeting with conservatives, Mr. Gingrich repeated his pledge to go after federal judges he believes are overstepping their roles, and also said he would require people who served in his administration to accept his platform, which he said would be conservative.
Asked if he is prepared to face tough personal attacks if he becomes the nominee, the former Georgia congressman replied that he was going to run a campaign focused on ideas, and said he had faith Americans would forgive him for past personal troubles such as his two failed marriages.
Penny Young Nance, president and CEO of Concerned Women for America, who attended the meeting, said she agreed American voters love redemption stories and are ready to be forgiving in Mr. Gingrich’s case. But she cautioned the attacks will be rough.
“I don’t underestimate, and I hope he doesn’t underestimate just the viciousness of the Obama campaign machine and how they are willing to dredge up anything, truth or lie, and he does need to be completely prepared,” she said.
Last month, a prominent evangelical leader said Mr. Gingrich must personally confront his marital failings if he wants to win over religious conservative voters. Ms. Nance said Mr. Gingrich does have more work to do in that area.
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