Ron Paul's 2012 campaign is apparently a fraud, according to MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell. Jon Huntsman, therefore, is the actual second-place finisher at the New Hampshire Republican Primary.

You have to look at the fraud in the campaign. Republican fraud, which is the libertarian Ron Paul, who is not a candidate for president. He is not going to get the nomination, said O'Donnell earlier this week.

He is in there to push his ideas and for whatever individual reasons he has, he added.

So who actually finished second in the New Hampshire Republican Primary of 2012?

Huntsman is the real second here. ... He came in strong, said O'Donnell.

This is despite the fact that Paul, with 23 percent of the votes in the New Hampshire Republican Primary, numerically finished second behind Mitt Romney.

It is also despite the widely held opinion that only Paul and Romney have a credible long-term strategy and enough campaign funds to pay for them.

Many took exception at O'Donnell's dismissal of Paul.

Comedian Jon Stewart ranted that you're not allowed to just take Ron Paul out of this. That's just physics.

Supporters of Paul are furious.

Lawrence, I love you, but Jon Stewart exposed you last night and your irrational way of slighting Ron Paul, wrote John Martin on the Facebook page of The Last Word With Lawrence O'Donnell.

The people vote [for] who comes in second, third or first. You sincerely need to be fired, wrote Emilie Rensink.