Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman declared during Wednesday’s GOP debate that one decade later, America’s confidence and innocence have been “shattered” by the 9/11 attacks and their aftermath.
Asked if he thinks the United States is safer today than it was on the day of the attacks, Huntsman said: “I think we’ve lost our confidence as a country. I think we have had our innocence shattered.
“I think 10 years later, we look at the situation and we say, ‘We have a hundred thousand troops in Afghanistan.’ This is not about nation-building in Afghanistan. It is about nation building at home. Our core is broken, we are weak, we have got to strengthen ourselves. I say we’ve got to bring those troops home.”
Huntsman said the best way to commemorate the nearly 3,000 lives lost on 9/11 would be to embark on strengthening the nation’s core, beginning with bringing the troops home from Afghanistan.
Huntsman also expressed his disdain for candidate pledging, such as the anti-tax pledge promoted by Americans for Tax Reform organization.
Pledges, he said, “diminish the political discussion” and jeopardizes candidates’ ability to lead, once they’re elected.
“I’d love to get everybody to take a pledge to take no more pledges,” Huntsman said.
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