A Critical Newt Gingrich Says Donald Trump Can Reverse Slump
ENLARGE
A
delegate takes a selfie with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich on the
opening day of the Republican National Convention at the Quicken Loans
arena in Cleveland, Ohio on July 18, 2016.
Photo:
Dominick Reuter/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
Mr. Gingrich, speaking on Fox Business, criticized Mr. Trump’s recent controversies – including his dispute with the Khan family and his declining to endorse House Speaker Paul Ryan in his upcoming primary– comparing the candidate to a star quarterback who has thrown a ton of interceptions.
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“People are going to watch you every single day. They’re going to take everything they can out of context, and he is not yet performing at the level that you need to.”
But Mr. Gingrich, who temporarily left his role as a commentator for Fox News while under consideration as Mr. Trump’s vice presidential pick, expressed optimism that the billionaire businessman would bounce back. He likened Mr. Trump to famed quarterback Joe Montana, referring to a rough patch he had at the start of a season before working out the kinks.
“For about half a season, it looked like he wasn’t Joe Montana anymore. And then he figured out what he was doing, and he changed. … Trump is in that kind of a slump,” Mr. Gingrich said. “He’s thrown a series of interceptions in the last week.”
Mr. Gingrich said Mr. Trump still has a chance to come back if he slows down and regroups. “He has two huge advantages. One is, the country really wants change, and the other is Hillary Clinton is the most corrupt and dishonest candidate we’ve ever had for president.” He added: “So there always going to be a residual possibility that Trump can win.”
Mr. Gingrich is just the latest in a long line of Republicans criticizing their party’s standard-bearer. Sen. John McCain attacked the presidential candidate, saying he defamed the Khan family and did not represent the true values of the GOP. But Mr. Mccain, just as Mr. Gingrich, hasn’t backed away from their endorsement of Mr. Trump.
Several other party notables, including one-time California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman and retiring New York Rep. Richard Hanna, said they will vote for Mrs. Clinton, the Democratic nominee.
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