CHARLESTON, S.C. — Jon Huntsman says he won’t hesitate to come out swinging against his opponents when he participates in his first presidential debate this week in Iowa.
In a brief interview with The Daily Caller on Sunday, Huntsman, the former Utah governor running for president as a Republican, also pushed back against suggestions that he’s a moderate Republican. He talked to TheDC after a 90-minute town hall hosted by South Carolina Rep. Tim Scott and attended by many tea party Republicans.
TheDC: Governor, there are a lot of tea partiers here. Do you think you appeal to them?
Huntsman: Oh, I think when we’re called a conservative problem solver, there’s a lot to like about what we’ve done. I think we can bring a very diverse group together. That’s how we’re going to win the election.
TheDC: Someone here suggested you’re a moderate. Is than an incorrect thing to say?
Huntsman: Oh, labels are thrown round. I think useless labels. [Voters] ought to look at the record. And they’ll see that we’re pro-life and we’re pro-2nd amendment and we’re pro-growth.
TheDC: Your first debate in Iowa is coming up. Are you going to go after the other guys or are you going to play nice?
Huntsman: We’re going to be who we are. The facts are needed to be brought out. We’re going to have to talk about your record, how it may be different from others and how you can win on your record. And we look forward to talking about that. Civility in a political debate can co-exist with the facts. And we look forward to that.