Former GOP presidential hopeful Jim Gilmore said Friday that Donald Trump gave a "powerful" acceptance speech that hit all the right points, from the economy to terrorism.

"[Trump was] saying, 'We're going to have a better day when I'm president of the United States because I'm going to do something about it,'" Gilmore said, in contrast with the view that Trump had painted a dark picture of America in his acceptance speech Thursday night.

"The central theme was insecurity," Gilmore told CNBC's " Squawk Box ."

"Americans know that jobs are not plentiful, their job security is not good," the former governor of Virginia added. "We don't have an affirmative growth policy in this country."

In a separate interview on "Squawk Box," Republican former Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas agreed.

"I thought he laid out the concerns of the American people very well," she said. "I don't think people are believing that America is living up to its full potential right now, both in foreign policy and an economy that is sluggish."

But Republican former Gov. Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey was rather critical of Trump. "I wish I heard his policy more," she said. "It was a dark speech."

Whitman told CNBC she's not going to vote for Democrat Hillary Clinton , but could see the appeal: "At least we know her, her faults. We can at least know what to expect."

Gilmore also offered his thoughts on Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine , a leading candidate to become Clinton's vice presidential running-mate. Kaine was also an ex-Virginia governor.

"I like him personally, but I don't think he probably adds very much to the ticket," Gilmore said. "The only thing he's really known for in the Senate is trying to get Congress to declare war all over the place as an institution."

"My job is to make sure that we carry Virginia for the ticket. And I'm going to work very hard to do that," said Gilmore, who ended his GOP presidential campaign in February after poor showings in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Clinton could announce her VP pick as early as Friday, ahead of next week's Democratic convention.

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