Newt Gingrich Calls Trump’s Criticism of Women Accusers’ Appearance ‘Stupid’

— -- Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich stood by Republican nominee Donald Trump's claim that the election is being "rigged," blaming what he calls "the unending one-sided assault of the news media" on the GOP candidate.

"Without the unending one-sided assault of the news media, Trump would be beating Hillary Clinton by 15 points," Gingrich told ABC News' Martha Raddatz on "This Week."

“So to suggest to us that people who are concerned about honest elections are somehow nutty, I think is a mistake,” he said.

Gingrich emphasized that the rigging is not at the local level: "This is not about election officials at the precinct level," he said.

Nevertheless, he said voters should monitor polling stations as Trump has encouraged because past elections have been "stolen."

"You've got to go out, and you've got to get your friends, and you've got to get everybody you know, and you've got to watch the polling booths because I hear too many stories about Pennsylvania, certain areas," Trump said at a rally in Pennsylvania in October.

"I remember when Richard Nixon had the election stolen in 1960, and no serious historian doubts that Illinois and Texas were stolen. So to suggest that, we have, you don't have theft in Philadelphia is to deny reality," Gingrich said.

A new ABC News/Washington Post poll out today shows a tight race between Clinton and Trump, 47 percent to 43 percent among likely voters, 23 days out from Election Day.

In reference to the claims of sexual assault against Trump, Gingrich said he thinks it's “stupid” for Trump to attack the looks of his accusers.

Trump at a rally in North Carolina on Friday spoke of one of the women who has accused him of sexual assault, telling supporters, “Believe me, she would not be my first choice, that I can tell you.” Trump was referring to Jessica Leeds, who told The New York Times that Trump sexually assaulted her in the 1980s while they were aboard a flight to New York.

Gingrich said, “I’ve said this publicly, there’s a big Trump and there’s a little Trump. The big Trump is a historic figure. The big Trump beat 16 other people for the nomination. The big Trump is creating issues that make the establishment very uncomfortable,” the former House speaker said. “The little Trump frankly gets out -- is stupid. I mean, that comment just then is dumb. And I don’t defend him when he wanders off, I’ve told him over and over.”