GOP presidential frontrunner Newt Gingrich on Monday claimed that his recent comments about the work ethic of poor youth were being misrepresented by critics.
On Thursday, Gingrich, the former House speaker, had said that “really poor children” have bad work habits and no knowledge of how to make an income “unless it’s illegal.”
"I've been talking a little bit about the importance of work, particularly as it relates to people who are in areas where there are -- in public housing, et cetera, where there are relatively few people who go to work," explained Gingrich Monday.
"And this has been interestingly distorted by some people, who suggest that the working poor by definition know how to work, which is true. That's why they are called the working poor. I was talking about people who come out of areas and neighborhoods where they may not have that experience," he said.
Gingrich held his press conference shortly after meeting with real estate mogul Donald Trump. Gingrich said that he had discussed plans for an apprenticeship program for young people in New York with Trump.
Trump who has flirted with running for the GOP nomination himself has been a sought-after endorsement for the Republican field. He hosts a reality show on NBC, The Apprentice, where contestants vie to win a one-year job at one of his business ventures.
Gingrich's comments on the work habits of poor children attracted much criticism. Actress Eva Longoria, a prominent Obama supporter, blasted him on Twitter Saturday, writing, "@newtgingrich you clearly know little about the Latina community, Latina entrepreneurs who start businesses at 6 times the national average."
