Gingrich: It 'doesn't bother me' if Adelson supports Romney in general

By Julian Pecquet and Meghashyam Mali - 02/05/12 02:06 PM ET

Presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich said Saturday that it “doesn’t bother” him if key donor casino mogul Sheldon Adelson threw his support behind Mitt Romney if Gingrich failed to secure the GOP nomination.

Gingrich was asked Saturday night about a report in The New York Times that Adelson, who along with his wife, has donated over $10 million to Gingrich's campaign might consider backing Romney in the general election.

“What he's quoted as saying is if I dropped out, he would be willing to support Gov. Romney. And I've said myself, if the choice is Obama and Romney, then there's no choice. I think that's how Sheldon Adelson feels," said Gingrich Saturday.

“Sheldon's primary driving source is the survival of the United States and Israel in the face of an Iranian nuclear weapon. And compared to Barack Obama, virtually anybody is a better candidate. So that doesn't bother me at all,” he said.

The Times reported that Adelson had told Romney's campaign he would provide strong financial support for their bid in November if they best Gingrich for the nomination.

Gingrich who was heavily outspent by Romney and super-PACs backing the former Massachusetts governor in the key Florida primary has been able to stay in the GOP race thanks to the funds from Adelson.

The former House speaker who has failed to capitalize on his win in South Carolina's primary last month has also said that he would rally behind the eventual GOP nominee in a contest against President Obama.

“I believe that President Obama is such a direct threat to the future of this country, that I will support the Republican nominee,” Gingrich said on CBS's Face the Nation on Sunday.

The GOP hopeful though has pledged to continue fighting through Super Tuesday on March 6 and believes a strong showing in Southern states ahead will give him the delegates needed to stay competitive in the GOP race.

“Our goal is to get to Super Tuesday where we are in much more favorable territory,” Gingrich said on NBC's Meet the Press.

Erik Wasson contributed.