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Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman did not hesitate on Sunday to differentiate himself from the Republican field, criticizing all of his opponents on their views of the economy.

“I wouldn't necessarily trust any of my opponents right now, who were on a recent debate stage with me, when every single one of them would have allowed this country to default,” Huntsman told Jake Tapper on ABC News's This Week. “You can imagine, even given the uncertainty of the marketplace the last several days and the last couple of weeks, if we had defaulted for the first time in the history of the greatest country that ever was -- being 25 percent of the world's GDP and having the largest financial services sector in this world by a long shot -- if we had defaulted, Jake, this marketplace would be in absolute turmoil.”

Huntsman said that his opponents -- both President Obama on the left and his party on the right -- represent what is wrong with the current political landscape, adding that that there was “zero leadership” from both sides of the aisle.

While the move is sure to differentiate Huntsman from the crowd, it remains to be seen whether it will also be an act of political suicide.

“Right now this country is crying out for a sensible middle ground,” he said. "Right now we have people on the fringes.... We have zero substance.”