Trump: Santorum Missed an Opportunity in Wednesday’s Debate

GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, FOX NEWS HOST: How did the candidates do? Governor Romney endorser Donald Trump joins us by phone. Good evening, Donald.

DONALD TRUMP, TRUMP ORGANIZATION (Via Telephone): Good evening.

VAN SUSTEREN: All right, I know you like Governor Romney, since you've endorsed him. So let me go to the other three first. Let me go first to Senator Rick Santorum. Did he say anything tonight that changed your view about him, whether or not he would be capable or a good president of the United States?

TRUMP: Well, I think he missed a great opportunity. He was sort of ready to go and he never got it off. And I have to say I really believe -- not because I endorsed him, but I really believe that Mitt Romney had a very, very good night. He was decisive. He was quick. He was sharp. He knew what he was talking about. And I really think he had a great night.

VAN SUSTEREN: Do you think we are at that point, though, in the debates that everyone has chosen his horse, basically, that there's almost nothing that any of the candidates can do to change anything, other than, of course, if there's a huge gaffe, that that might sink someone's ship?

TRUMP: Well, only the big gaffe. And of course, the big gaffe, as you've seen throughout the various debates, can be possible, but only the big gaffe. I mean, we've heard it all. They -- obviously, what they've said, they've said, and they're going to say it a hundred times again. And you wonder how many more times can we listen to this.

But nobody did poorly tonight, but I thought Mitt Romney did great. I thought Newt was very good. And you know, frankly, I really think that Rick missed a great opportunity. People were waiting to see something, and I don't believe they saw it.

VAN SUSTEREN: What were the -- what do you think people are waiting for? What is it that you didn't see?

TRUMP: Well, you didn't see the decisiveness. You didn't see the leadership. You didn't see somebody really getting to Romney, and you know, hurting Romney and hurting what Romney was saying. So I think that, you know, it was a great opportunity that he had. And he certainly didn't do poorly, but he didn't knock it out of the park, and I think he had to. I really think that Mitt actually did, in fact, knock it out of the park.