CLEVELAND, OHIO — Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich took a moment here at the Republican National Convention to analyze Donald Trump’s media diet habits, noting that the party’s nominee perhaps watches too much television.
Speaking at a cocktail reception hosted by the law firm Dentons, where Gingrich is a senior adviser, he called Trump “the first candidate of the Kardashian era.”
“This guy watches more television than any person I’ve ever met,” said Gingrich. “I’ll say something [on TV] and then he’ll call me … But he was watching … You’re a candidate for president. What are you doing watching junk television? Are you nuts?”
Gingrich said Trump, who is here to formally accept the GOP’s nomination, has an understanding that in the current media landscape, “Whatever you said yesterday was 20 years ago.”
Trump said during the GOP primaries that for much of his policy information, he relies on “the shows,” meaning news programs that feature expert guests.
Asked by the Washington Examiner if he thought Trump’s reliance on TV for policy advice rang hallow, Gingrich, who is a Trump supporter, said no.
“No, I mean, first look at the shows he looks at,” he said. “So, [former Army vice chief of staff] Jack Keane is an old friend of mine. He does Fox News. Donald Trump listens to him. If Donald Trump said to you, ‘I have Jack Keane come by once a month for an hour,’ you’d say, ‘Wow, that’s sophisticated.’ He watches Jack King for an hour from television.”
Asked to square that with his comment that Trump watches too much “junk television,” Gingrich said, “That’s because he’s watching me.”
