Newt Gingrich goes in on Romney, accuses him of 'sucking up' to Trump for secretary of state job

Newt Gingrich sounded off Wednesday on Mitt Romney's latest meeting with President-elect Donald Trump about the secretary of state post.

Gingrich appeared on conservative radio host Laura Ingraham's show Wednesday and implied that Romney is "sucking up" to Trump to get the job.

"You have never, ever, in your career seen a wealthy adult who is independent, has been a presidential candidate, suck up at the rate that Mitt Romney is sucking up," Gingrich said.

The former House speaker is a vocal supporter of Trump and was at one point a contender to be Trump's running mate. But he has been one of the members of Trump's inner circle to push back on the idea of Romney as secretary of state. 

Gingrich continued:

"I am confident that he thinks now that he and Donald Trump are the best of friends, they have so many things in common. That they're both such wise, brilliant people. And I'm sure last night at an elegant three-star restaurant, he was happy to share his version of populism, which involve a little fois gras, a certain amount of superb cooking, but put that in a populist happy manner."

Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and 2012 GOP presidential nominee, is apparently still among the top four people under consideration for the secretary of state role. His candidacy has rubbed a few early Trump loyalists the wrong way.

On Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that the search was down to five candidates: 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Bob Corker, former CIA Director David Petraeus, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and retired Marine Corps Gen. John Kelly. Trump was meeting with Kelly on Wednesday.

Listen to Gingrich's interview below: