Trump, Clinton are not 'gifted retail politicians,' former Obama aide says

Donald Trump needs "to do something to change his trajectory" in the race for the White House, a former senior advisor and campaign manager to President Barack Obama said Wednesday.

David Plouffe, now senior vice president of policy and strategy for Uber, told CNBC's "Power Lunch" that the debate on Monday was "incredibly lopsided" and if the election were held today, Trump would not make it to 270 electoral votes.

Plouffe, who helped Obama prepare for two town hall debates in 2008, said "you really have to relate to the questioners and I don't think Donald Trump nor Hillary Clinton are the most gifted retail politicians."

A record 84 million people tuned in for the first debate. The first of the two remaining will be a town hall debate. Half the questions will be asked by people present and half will be questions previously submitted online. Voting for potential questions online for the town hall began on Tuesday.

"It will be a very intimate room," Plouffe noted.

He believes it can bring an opportunity for Clinton to relate to people and for Trump to not get tired and upset. The former Obama aide also said that it would be a big mistake for Donald Trump to bring up Bill Clinton's marital infidelities during the second debate.

The town hall debate will be in St. Louis on Sunday, Oct. 9.