Conservative leaders and several members of Congress met with Donald Trump this week for a closed door meeting in Washington DC.
Attendees included: Former Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Senator and President of the Heritage Foundation, Jim DeMint, former Rep. Bob Livingston, Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-TN), Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY), Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA), Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and several others.
Newt Gingrich spoke with Bill O’Reilly after the meeting.
Gingrich praised Trump’s gut instinct for politics.
Newt later praised Donald Trump in an interview with Isaac Chotiner from Salon.
Salon.com reported:
I want to get back to what Trump is doing, and we both know he is playing on impulses—
No, no we don’t.
We don’t?
What we know is that Trump has had the nerve to raise questions in a clear language because he represents the millions of Americans who are sick and tired of being told that they have to be guilt-ridden and keep their mouth shut.
So why are Trump’s negatives so high, if he is giving a voice to the masses?
Look, Trump has been campaigning in a Republican primary with harsh language and has been routinely attacked by the elite media as much as they can. Reagan went through the same cycle. Do you know how many points Reagan was behind Carter in March?
It was double digits, right?
Twenty-five. Not just double digits. Twenty-five points. So if you had talked to me in March of 1980, you would have said, “How can I support this crazy right-winger who makes movies with chimpanzees and is 25 points behind Carter?” And I would have said, “Because I think he can win.” Which, by the way, he did.
Is there really nothing that worries you about this guy? The way he deals with reporters, his campaign manager, etc.? You are not at all worried he has authoritarian tendencies?
No. No. [Laughs.] Which part of that is supposed to bother me?
That his campaign manager may have assaulted a reporter?
Oh c’mon. Did you ever look at it?
I have looked at it, many times.
That’s an assault?
He grabbed her arm very hard.
[Sarcastically] He grabbed her arm very hard. OK.
He grabbed someone else a few days ago at a rally. It’s on video!
Right.
Trump has offered to pay legal fees for people who hit protesters. None of this worries you at all?
No. Doesn’t actually.
OK.
You are asking and I am telling you. And by the way, his strategy with the media is quite simple. In a Republican primary, nothing helps you more than being the guy who stands up to the media. I think I can testify to this from personal experience.
Read the rest here.
