Newt Gingrich said Donald Trump was "at least as reliable as Andrew Jackson." | AP Photo Gingrich: Trump is at least as reliable as Andrew Jackson

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich didn't offer a very strong answer when asked if Donald Trump is mentally fit for office during an interview with The New York Times.

“Yeah, and my answer would be, sure,” Gingrich said.


“Sure?” Michael Barbaro asked him on the election podcast “The Run-Up” released Tuesday.

“Sure. I mean, he is at least as reliable as Andrew Jackson, who was one of the most decisive presidents in American history,” Gingrich continued. “Nobody would have predicted Abraham Lincoln’s capabilities before he became president, and most people didn’t believe him while he was president.”

The interview was published after 50 Republican national security officials, including former CIA and NSA officials, signed a letter warning that Donald Trump would "risk our country’s national security and well-being.”