Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) on Tuesday said Republicans "can win a surprising election this fall" if they focus on economic growth and jobs and "let the Democrats be the party of socialism" in an interview on Fox News.
The argument comes as many cable news networks continue to preview the new year with a look ahead to the 2018 midterms, which most polling shows decidedly favoring Democrats.
"You’re seeing pay go up, you're seeing jobs increase, you’re seeing a sense of confidence," Gingrich, also a Fox News contributor, told "Fox & Friends."
"If the Republicans, led by the president, can focus in on winning the argument about the tax bill, spend the whole year pounding away at the notion jobs are created by businesses, cutting taxes and cutting regulations creates jobs, and let the Democrats be the party of socialism, big government, and big bureaucracy, I think we can win a surprising election this fall," he continued.
The RealClearPolitics average of major polls shows Democrats with a 12.8-point advantage over Republicans on the generic ballot.
"I believe the underlying momentum of the country is towards the Republicans and away from the Democrats, despite every effort of the left-wing media," Gingrich added later in the interview, also citing big Republican advantages on the fundraising front.
"And when people come down to voting: 'You want higher taxes? You want lower taxes? You want more jobs? You want fewer jobs? You want weakness dealing with Iran? You want strength dealing with Iran?'
Every time you get away from the questions and the noise, people I think by 65, 70 percent favor the Republican position," he concluded.
Democrats need to flip 24 seats to win back the House in the 2018 midterms.
In the Senate, they would need to gain two seats — a tough proposition next year, when Republicans are defending just eight seats and Democrats are defending a number of seats in states that Trump carried in the 2016 presidential election.