UPDATE: Newt Gingrich defends Donald Trump from Ron Paul

By MAGGIE HABERMAN 

After a nearly hour-long meeting at Trump Tower, Donald Trump and Newt Gingrich emerged for a joint news conference, during which the former House speaker defended The Donald from slams from Ron Paul that Trump moderating a debate would create a "circus" atmosphere.
"I'm actually very surprised that one of my friends would have said that," Gingrich said, noting that an actor who appeared with a chimp (Ronald Reagan) became president, as well as a former preanut farmer. "This is a country of enormously wide-open talent. You know, Donald Trump is a great showman. He's also a great businessman. ... I think that we have to be open to new ways of doing things and new ways of approaching things."

He added, "I thought it was great when he agreed to do it. ... It's part of the process by which Americans (choose)."

Gingrich said he got Trump to agree to create a system of, as he put it, "Apprenti," where 10 New York City school kids in the poorer schools can apply for an apprenticeship of some kind. The obvious branding aside, it's not immediately clear that the New York City Department of Education will be interested.
Asked why he was taking time to meet with Trump, Gingrich said, "Why wouldn't you? ... I want to pick up on something Herman Cain said a while back. Sometimes, we have to get a certain sense of humor in politics. ... He is a genuine American icon in his own right."
Besides, he added, "I like being in New York at Christmas."
Gingrich, who got criticized for sounding a bit confident when he predicted last week, "I'm going to be the nominee," struck a more humble tone when asked the same question today, saying it will be up to the American people to decide.