Mitt Romney 'Gifts' Remark Criticized By Kelly Ayotte, Bobby Jindal

Mitt Romney is receiving criticism from both sides after he claimed Obama won the 2012 election because of "gifts" he gave to black, Hispanic and young voters.

"The president's campaign, if you will, focused on giving targeted groups a big gift," Romney said in a call to donors on Wednesday. "He made a big effort on small things."

Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), who endorsed Romney for president and was once mentioned as a potential vice presidential candidate, told MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell that she doesn't agree, but also doesn't know the "full context" of the comments.

"I don't agree with the comments," Ayotte said.

According to pool reports, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney also reacted to Romney's "gifts" remark:

"That view of the American people of the electorate and of the election is at odds with the truth of what happened last week.

As we talked about a lot and the president talked about a lot, making it easier for Americans to go to college – that’s good for America. It’s good for all Americans. It’s good for the economy. Making health care available to young people who can stay on their parents’ plans. That’s good for those families it’s good for those young people so they aren’t bankrupted in their 20s by an illness. And it’s good for the economy and it’s good for all of us.

The president pursues policies that have at their core a desire to build the middle class, strengthen the middle class, make the middle class more secure, because that’s what makes America more secure. So it’s just not the view we take bout the decision the American people made last week."

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal (R) was one of the first to criticize Romney's comment.

"I absolutely reject that notion," Jindal said, calling it "absolutely wrong."