Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann and Texas Gov. Rick Perry confirmed Thursday they would not be participating in Donald Trump’s GOP debate. With them out, Trump’s debate will feature two participants, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum. While Bachmann, Romney and Perry all bowed out of the debate with polite words, Ron Paul and Jon Huntsman openly criticized the event as demeaning to the political process.
Santorum said in Trump’s defense, “Many of my opponents jockeyed to be the first to fly up to New York and use Donald Trump for a photo op and no doubt try and secure an endorsement. But when Donald wants to moderate a debate – they refuse to attend. That’s what’s so wrong with politics today – hypocrisy.”
