Story highlights "You don't pick a fight with a guy you need as a teammate," Gingrich said.

"You could argue he's the leader of the team, so if things aren't working, maybe, he needs to take part of the ownership here," he said.

(CNN) Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, an ally of President Donald Trump, sharply criticized the President on Friday for attacking Majority Leader Mitch McConnell over the Senate's failure to pass legislation repealing Obamacare.

"I think it's totally misplaced," Gingrich said on the Laura Ingraham Show. "And furthermore, McConnell's going to still be there. You don't pick a fight with a guy you need as a teammate -- and they're not going to replace McConnell. And so, I don't understand what the President thinks he's accomplishing."

Asked if he thought the President had a strategy, Gingrich said no.

"I don't think there is one," Gingrich said. "I think the President has his instinct for being aggressive and he's unhappy, but he also he doesn't want to take responsibility. He talks about how Mitch has to get this done -- well, this is a team. The President is a key member of the team. You could argue he's the leader of the team, so if things aren't working, maybe, he needs to take part of the ownership here."

"I look at this and I don't get it, maybe I just lack strategic cleverness -- but this is not how I would try to tackle this," Gingrich continued. "I think that it doesn't do the President any good. It doesn't advance the game, it puts us in a situation where we have great difficulties, not less difficulties. Why would you think that's to your advantage?"