Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich accused the mainstream media of repeatedly “lying about the tax cuts” to the American people on Tuesday on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends,” as Congress prepares for a vote on the final bill this week.

Republican leaders in both the Senate and the House plan votes on the final version of the bill in their respective chambers Tuesday, with President Donald Trump signing the landmark measure on Wednesday. But that schedule is subject to legislative vagaries and could be delayed.

Congressional Democrats vehemently oppose the bill, and the national media for the most part have provided an echo chamber to amplify the criticisms, especially the ideas that tax reform will benefit the rich and hurt middle Americans.

When “Fox & Friends” co-host Steve Doocy asked Gingrich what he thought of the mainstream media’s portrayal of the tax bill, the former House speaker replied, “They lie.”

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“All of the elite media’s lying about the tax cuts,” Gingrich said. “And then you go to the average American and say, ‘What do you think?’ And they say, ‘Well, gosh — based on what I’ve heard, I guess I’m against it.’ Then the media says, ‘Oh, my gosh — this is an unpopular tax cut.'”

On Tuesday, CNN published a story called “Public opposition to tax bill grows as vote approaches.” On Monday, Huffington Post published a story titled “Republicans Are Hustling To Pass A Tax Bill That No One Really Likes.” Also on Monday, Vox published an article, “The Republican tax bill is an American betrayal.”

Gingrich added about the media, “They hate Trump. They are just stunned that he is pulling this off. They disagree with people like [House Speaker] Paul Ryan, who, for his entire career, has talked about creating jobs, reducing taxes on working Americans.”

He also said, “They want to have high taxes and big food stamps and lots of welfare. We want to have low taxes, lots of jobs, and lots of take-home pay. These are antithetical worldviews.”

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Gingrich warned that it would be “almost suicidal” for vulnerable incumbent Democrats from swing states and districts to misrepresent and then vote against the tax bill.

“Look — the Democrats have become the musk ox party. They gather in a herd like musk ox. They all stand together. They’re terrified of being individuals. They all do the same thing that magically the Left all tells them to do,” Gingrich said.

The former House speaker praised Trump and the GOP-led Congress for standing on the cusp of a major legislative victory for tax reform less than one year into Trump’s first term in office.

“This is the [Ronald] Reagan gamble. It was a John F. Kennedy gamble. And the Left is going to lose this gamble,” Gingrich said. “The Democrats who vote no this week are going to pay a price this fall for having decided to take more money out of the American people.”

PoliZette writer Kathryn Blackhurst can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter here.