Fox News suspends Newt Gingrich amid speculation that he could be Donald Trump's running mate
In a statement on Tuesday, the network announced that it was cutting ties with Gingrich in order to avoid potential conflicts of interest.
"Fox News Channel has mutually agreed to suspend its contributor agreement with Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich effective immediately. Due to the intense media speculation about Gingrich's potential selection as Donald Trump's vice presidential candidate, we felt it best to halt his contributor role on the network to avoid all conflicts of interest that may arise," Fox News Executive Vice President Jay Wallace said.
Gingrich is one of four potential candidates who Trump said he's seriously considering to serve as his running mate. Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, General Michael Flynn, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie are also considered top contenders for the job.
A longtime Fox commentator, the former speaker was previously suspended from the network before launching his 2012 presidential bid. This is relatively commonplace for the network, which cut ties with retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson in 2014 before his bid, and placed former Sen. Rick Santorum in 2012 on leave before his campaign.