Newt Gingrich lashed out at the "intellectual dishonesty, arrogance and smugness" of the "media elite" who declared Hillary Clinton winner of Monday's presidential debate and ignored the GOP nominee's strategic victory.
On his website, the former Republican House Speaker borrowed a derisive term from financial writer Nassim Taleb to label the Trump debate-bashers as the "Intellectual Yet Idiots" class.
"The Intellectual Yet Idiot class that dominates our news media fell all over themselves critiquing Trump and praising [NBC News anchor and debate moderator Lester] Holt and Clinton," Gingrich wrote.
"Last night, Trump conveyed his core messages," he declared. "He may have lost on glibness, but he won on sincerity, empathy, and authenticity."
"Trump wins strategically because in a blunt, clear style, he is saying things most Americans believe," Gingrich added. "The Intellectual Yet Idiot class is so out of touch with America that they don’t even realize how badly they are doing and how well Trump is doing."
Gingrich points to journalists Salena Zito's take on the debate in the New York Post and online polls showing Trump the winner of the first presidential debate.
"The first debate showcased a blunt, plain spoken businessman and a polished professional politician," he wrote. "Of course the Intellectual Yet Idiot insiders would pick Hillary. They share her passion for words without meaning, analysis without facts, and promises without performance."
According to Gingrich, "Trump won because he didn’t make a major mistake and he stuck to the facts" while Clinton "was vicious, nasty, mean-spirited, and arrogant."
And, Gingrich argued, instead of hitting back at Clinton's "cheap shot" charges of sexism, Trump "responded as a president and not a candidate."
"The media elite were thrilled that Hillary could be so mean and nasty," Gingrich wrote. "The country will prefer a president with self-discipline and a sense of decency."
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