GOP presidential candidate Jon Huntsman's campaign engaged in a terse Twitter battle with real estate mogul Donald Trump on Thursday.
MSNBC's First Read details how the 140-characters-or-less conflict unfolded. While Rick Perry and Mitt Romney have met with Trump directly, and Herman Cain plans to do so next week, Huntsman has demonstrated minimal interest in courting the billionaire businessman.
On Monday, Huntsman's spokesman, Tim Miller, made several quips about Trump's meetings with GOP rivals, making clear that Huntsman would not be coming to New York to seek Trump's support. Two days later, Fox News released a poll, which showed that the Donald's endorsement would have a more negative than positive impact on GOP hopefuls.
With that combination in hand, Trump fired back at Huntsman, tweeting from his official account on Thursday: "@JonHuntsman has zero chance of getting the nomination. Whoever said I wanted to meet him? Time is money and I don't waste mine."
Recent numbers have painted a poor picture for the former Utah governor, who was on the brink of exclusion from the upcoming Oct. 18 CNN debate in Las Vegas. But as The Hill notes, Huntsman pulled together 4 percent in that Wednesday Fox News poll, sealing his eligibility for the next Republican television rumble.
Poll numbers aside, Huntsman's campaign was quick to strike back at Trump. Miller delivered a reply Thursday, tweeting: "@JonHuntsman isn't wasting his time w/ Presidential Apprentice. His focus is on real solutions to fix our economy."
While Huntsman appears committed to focusing on other talking points, Trump still seems to hold clout within the GOP field. A Monday Associated Press report noted that candidates are seeking the "Celebrity Apprentice" host's advice and approval.
Moving on without Trump's help, Huntsman's campaign announced a major move on Thursday regarding its headquarters. The AP reports that the former Utah governor is shuttering the doors on his Orlando, Fla. foothold. His new base will be in Manchester, N.H., signaling the importance of a strong performance in that state for his campaign.
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