One of Donald Trump's closest allies, Newt Gingrich, offered some harsh criticism Wednesday, saying the Republican presidential nominee "cannot win the presidency operating the way he is now."
In an interview with the Washington Post, the former House speaker criticized Trump's recent controversies, including his criticism of Khazir Khan, the father of a Muslim American solider killed in Iraq, his decision to not yet endorse Senator John McCain and current House Speaker Paul Ryan for re-election, and saying his daughter could just get a new job if she was sexually harassed at work.
“Anybody who is horrified by Hillary should hope that Trump will take a deep breath and learn some new skills,” Gingrich told the Post. “He cannot win the presidency operating the way he is now. She can’t be bad enough to elect him if he’s determined to make this many mistakes.”
Trump, he added, is only helping Clinton clinch the presidency "by proving he is more unacceptable than she is."
On Fox Business on Wednesday, Gingrich added that Trump's choice to not endorse McCain and Ryan in their primary campaigns is "very self-destructive."
Trump could turn the situation around, Gingrich said, likening the Republican candidate to NFL legend Joe Montana.
Montana went through a “stretch during his career where he kept throwing interceptions; and for about half a season, it looked like he wasn’t Joe Montana anymore," Gingrich said. "And then he figured out what he was doing, and he changed. Trump is in that kind of a slump."
Trump needs to slow down and "take a deep breath and grow into the size of the job," Gingrich said.
“So there always going to be a residual possibility that Trump can win," he added.