Cruz and Santorum melt down over Trump's Muslim controversy at South Carolina conference The Donald cancelled because of a 'business transaction'

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Two GOP candidates got testy when asked whether Donald Trump should have corrected a supporter who called the president a Muslim
Rick Santorum said it's not the candidates job to 'police' what their supporters ask in public forums
Neither he nor Ted Cruz would say whether they think Obama is a Muslim; Obama's faith is between 'him and God,' Cruz said
Meanwhile Trump canceled his appearance at the South Carolina forum and released his plan on gun rights - that looked like a distraction

By Francesca Chambers, White House Correspondent For Dailymail.com In Greenville and Nikki Schwab, U.s. Political Reporter

Published: 19:34 EST, 18 September 2015 | Updated: 01:25 EST, 20 September 2015

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Donald Trump got some back-up on Friday evening from two of his fellow Republican presidential candidates in the controversy over the town hall questioner who claimed the president is a Muslim.

Trump did not take the man on as he brought up old birther claims and asserted that the current White House occupant is not an American.

He's come under attack for the incident, which took place Thursday evening, and he today cancelled an appearance at a major conservative gathering, issuing his policy proposal on the second amendment instead.

With Trump gone, his opponents were peppered with questions about the incident.

Rick Santorum and Ted Cruz had mini meltdowns when reporters asked them to comment, with Santorum saying it's not the candidate's 'job to police a questioner' and Cruz calling it just another 'food fight' that American's don't care about.

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MUSLIM MELTDOWN: Ted Cruz (left) and Rick Santorum (right) got testy Friday when asked about Donald Trump's latest controversy – whether the billionaire should have interjected when a supporter said President Obama was a Muslim and 'not even an American'

Donald Trump appeared Thursday night in New Hampshire and was criticized for not dressing down a supporter who spoke of America's 'Muslim problem' and asked the billionaire how to 'get rid' of them

Donald Trump was supposed to appear at the Heritage Action Presidential Candidate Forum on Friday, but abruptly canceled citing business concerns

'You know, I don't think it's my job or anybody's job to correct a questioner,' Santorum told reporters at the Heritage Action Presidential Candidate Forum today in Greenville, South Carolina. 'That somehow we have to police the questioners as to what they say, it's not my job, it's not Donald Trump's job, it's not anybody's job to police a questioner.'

'The questioner can say whatever he wants, it's a free country,' the former Pennsylvania senator contended.

Santorum suggested the press was blowing the Trump incident out of proportion.

‘The idea that we have to go out there and anytime someone says something that that offends the press that we have to correct it, I think that's, that's part of the problem here,' he said.

Cruz also blamed the press for stirring up the pot.

'I understand, the press wants to get Republicans throwing rocks at each other,' he told reporters before his speech, but the Texas senator said he wouldn't participate in it.

When asked explicitly if Obama is a Muslim, Cruz wouldn't answer answer the question straight.

'You know, President Obama's faith is between him and God,' Cruz said, but noted that Obama's policies have hurt Christians and not gone after radicalized Muslims.

The Texas senator said, 'We've seen the rights of Christians undermined, all across the country under President Obama's leadership.'

'[At] the same time, we've seen the rise of radical Islamic terrorism.'

Asked the same thing by a reporter - the third to press him on the topic - Santorum exploded.

'The president says he's a Christian,' he said, stuttering and pausing as he furiously told reporters, 'Look ladies and gentleman. I'm not playing this...game that you guys wanna play.'

Jeb Bush, however, addressed the controversy later on Friday in Michigan.

'Barack Obama is a talented man – and by the way he's an American, he's a Christian – his problem isn't the fact that he was born here or what his faith is,' Bush said in a speech. 'His problem is that he's a progressive liberal who tears down anybody that disagrees with him.'

Scott Walker didn't speak about Obama's religion today, but he's tripped over the issue in the past.

'I don't know,' Walker said in February when asked if Obama is a Christian.

'I've actually never talked about it or I haven't read about that,' Walker continued. 'I've never asked him that. You've asked me to make statements about people that I haven't had a conversation about that. How [could] I say if I don't know if you are a Christian?'

When a supporter asked Donald Trump Thursday what to do about America's 'Muslim problem' the Donald replied, 'we need this question'

Trump got himself in trouble Thursday night when he seemingly did nothing when a supporter called the president a Muslim and 'not even an American.'

'We have a problem in this country – it's called Muslims,' a man wearing a Trump t-shirt told the GOP front-runner at a town hall event in New Hampshire. 'You know our current president is one. You know he's not even an American.'

Trump responded with a, 'we need this question, this is the first question,' while the man articulated his query further.

'Anyway, we have training camps growing where they want to kill us. That's my question: When can we get rid of them? '

Trump told him 'we're going to be looking at a lot of different things.'

'You know, a lot of people are saying that and a lot of people are saying that bad things are happening,' Trump continued. 'We're going to be looking at that and many other things.'

Cruz, in South Carolina, was also asked by a reporter if American Muslims were a problem and if they should be tossed out.

'Ma'am you can ask your question, I'm going to give you my answer, you may not like my answer, but you don't get to give my answer for me,' Cruz said angrily. 'What I think the American people are interested in is not the food fight that reporters are trying to stir up – let's talk about how we stop radical Islamic terrorism.'

When the reporter protested, saying 'I'm asking you about Muslims in this country,' Cruz shut the whole thing down.

'OK, next question,' the senator said.

Donald Trump's website briefly crashed after the candidate released his first policy paper on the second amendment, which called for a national concealed carry permit

Rand Paul, who sparred with Trump on Wednesday night's debate stage, said it wasn't the billionaire's fault that the incident occurred while contending that it spoke volumes about his opponent's character.

'It's not his fault that the questioner stood up,' Paul said at the Heritage Action event Friday. 'But I think you'd want to distance yourself from a question like that.'

As for the president's religion, Paul said: 'Well, I think he's a Christian, he says he's a Christian,' Paul said. 'I don't know any reason to doubt that.'

The White House, normally reticent to get involved in the 2016 bickering, let it rip on Friday

'People who hold these offensive views are part of Mr. Trump’s base,' Obama's spokesman, Josh Earnest, said on Friday. 'And Mr. Trump himself would be the first to tell you that he’s got the biggest base of any Republican politician these days.'

Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders said Trump should apologize.

On the Republican side, Lindsay Graham said, according to Politico, 'You had a chance here to show who you were.'

'This happens to all of us. It happened to John McCain,' he said. 'You have to push back.'

Chris Christie said on the Today show that he would have corrected the man.

'I would've said, "No, listen. Before we answer, let's clear some things up for the rest of the audience." And I think you have an obligation as a leader to do that.'

Christie was the only Republican to forcefully denounce Trump's reaction on Friday, while Bobby Jindal mocked it.

'Look, I think the reality is if you want Trump to pay attention to a question, you have to mention his name,' Jindal told DailyMail.com. 'He doesn't care about anything but himself, he's a narcissist.'

Jindal also echoed Santorum in saying folks have the right to ask whatever they want. 'It's a free country,' the Louisiana governor stated.

Meanwhile, in Trump land, the Donald withdrew from the Heritage Action event in South Carolina several hours before he was to go on stage citing his business interests as the obstacle.

'Mr. Trump had a significant business transaction that was expected to close Thursday,' his campaign announced.

'He sends his regrets and looks forward to being with the great people of South Carolina on Wednesday in Columbia,' the announcement continued.

The campaign also released a gun rights plan Friday afternoon. The move was seen as a distraction as it briefly shut down the candidate's website, as well.

It presented the candidate as tough on crime, but very friendly to the second amendment, calling for tougher sentencing for gun crimes, the elimination of all gun and magazine bans and the creation of a national concealed carry permit, instead of laws pertaining to such permits differing from state to state.

'We need to get serious about prosecuting violent criminals,' the paper said, noting that current background check laws don't work because 'very few criminals are stupid enough' to try and pass the checks, instead stealing their firearms or getting their guns from family and friends.

Trump also used the policy paper to tour his own gun ownership.

'The right of self-defense doesn’t stop at the end of your driveway,' Trump said in the paper. 'That’s why I have a concealed carry permit and why tens of millions of Americans do too.'

As for Trump's business dealings, spokeswoman Hope Hicks said it wasn't a rouse.

'The deal will be announced next week,' she told DailyMail.com.