He described Congress as "corrupt" and "sick." He questioned his Democratic rivals' patriotism. He even compared them to Mussolini and accused them of trying to "destroy our country." According to former Georgia state Democratic Party leader Steve Anthony, "the things that came out of Gingrich's mouth ... we had never [heard] that before from either side. Gingrich went so far over the top that the shock factor rendered the opposition frozen for a few years."
This was in the early ‘80s.
The Obama birther stuff comes after it, and it is a good reminder that Trump isn’t the one that started the blatant “up is down” level of lying.