Huntsman says Cain should consider dropping out

Jon Huntsman said in light of a recent allegation that Herman Cain had a 13-year-affair, the former businessman should consider dropping out of the Republican presidential race.

"Given the bandwidth that has been taken out of the discussion of any other issues pertinent to this campaign, a reconsideration might be in order,” Huntsman said Tuesday, according to The Boston Globe.

"You’ve got to be reconsidering just based on how we have lost focus on the issues that really do matter," Huntsman said. "Every time another accusation comes up, it diminishes our ability to stay focused on the issues that really do matter for the American people. And I think that’s a disservice to the voters."

Huntsman has previously called the allegations against his Republican competitor for the presidential nomination a distraction and something that's diverted attention from other, more important issues.

The former Utah governor's comment comes the same day that Cain suggested on a conference call that he is reassessing his campaign in light of a new allegation that he had a 13-year-affair with an Atlanta businesswoman. That claim is in addition to previous sexual harassment allegations by a number of women.

"Now with this latest one we have to do an assessment as to whether or not this is going to create too much of a cloud in some peoples’ minds as to whether or not they should support us going forward," Cain said earlier Tuesday.

Cain's campaign later said that his comment did not mean he was planning on dropping out.