Huntsman Uninvited from GOP Gathering Following Remarks
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Win McNamee/Getty Images(PALM BEACH, Fla.) — Jon Huntsman couldn’t win the Republican nomination, and now he can’t even get into Republican events.
The long-shot presidential candidate won’t be allowed at a gathering of donors in Palm Beach this weekend, sponsored by the Republican National Committee, because he called for a third-party candidate last week.
Huntsman’s daughter Abby confirmed to ABC News that her dad has been uninvited. He was supposed to be a speaker at the event.
The snub was first reported by the social meme and political news website BuzzFeed.
Huntsman dropped out of the race after he did poorly in the New Hampshire primary and quickly endorsed the front-runner establishment candidate, Mitt Romney. But last week, Huntsman said on MSNBC that “I think we’re going to have problems politically until we get some sort of third party movement or some voice out there that can put forth new ideas.”
“Someone’s going to step up at some point and say we’ve had enough of this,” he said. “The real issues are not being addressed and it’s time that we put forward an alternative vision, a bold thinking. We might not win, but we can certainly influence the debate.”
The former China ambassador and Utah governor had played down speculation that he might run for president in a third party, and his endorsement of Romney appeared to put that idea to rest — while raising the notion that he could mount another bid in 2016 or 2020.
BuzzFeed reported that an RNC staff member told a former member of Huntsman’s campaign staff that his invitation had been revoked.
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