The media will "cloud" Donald Trump's campaign message if he keeps making the kind of "unforced errors" that triggered an angry backlash to his criticism of the parents of a hero Muslim soldier, Rep. Peter King says.
In an interview Monday on "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Terrorism and member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said Trump "has to have people around him, or people he's going to listen to."
"He does have to be more careful," the New York lawmaker said. "What he said, quite frankly, about the Muslim family was wrong. What he just should have said is he honors their son's service, no one can understand the grief they're going through, and leave it at that."
King said Trump "can be an outstanding candidate."
"He has a unique ability to make contact with the average person, persons who have been ignored for too long, but he can't be making unforced errors because the media is going to cloud his message," he said.
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King said he hopes that during the presidential debates, Trump will be able to focus in on the FBI criticism of Hillary Clinton's reckless use of her private server while serving as secretary of state.
"If he just sticks to the facts he can tear her apart," he predicted.