[ad_1]
“I am concerned about what our party and candidates need,” he said in an interview with The Washington Post on Sunday. And I think it’s time for a different kind of leadership.”
He first revealed his plans in an interview on ABC’s “This Week” that aired earlier in the day.
“I have been traveling this country for six months and I hear people talking about our country’s leadership. I’m sure you want a leader with the best American appeal.
The former Arkansas governor also told ABC that Trump, who was indicted by a grand jury in Manhattan, should drop out of the race because of its progress. His comments rallied around Trump following the indictment. He stands apart from Trump’s rivals and many of the other party leaders.
“For the presidency, it’s a sideshow and a distraction, he needs to be able to focus on due process, and I think there’s a presumption of innocence,” Hutchinson said.
Hutchinson said on Sunday that the timing of his announcement, two days before Trump was expected to surrender to authorities, was a “coincidence.”
Hutchinson will start off as an underdog in a field that includes Trump, former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley, and entrepreneur and author Vivek Ramaswamy. Polls show Trump is the clear leader in the polls. Other Republicans, such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, may also join the race in the coming months.
“I don’t have the same level of exposure or name ID as everyone else out there. We had to build it,” he told the Post.
The 72-year-old former governor has butted heads with Trump before, such as when he vetoed a law banning gender-affirming care for minors in Arkansas, and argued against the benefits of mask mandates during the pandemic. He stood out among Republican governors for his rethinking.
But as governor, he maintained a highly conservative record, signed a near-total anti-abortion law, and encouraged a flurry of executions. And now, while Hutchinson insists Republican voters should pick him out of the growing field of Republican candidates, as other candidates race for media attention, it’s hard for a low-key former governor. Analysts said it could be a difficult debate.
A native of Arkansas, he has spent much of his political career serving the South Central states as a federal prosecutor and then as a congressman under President Ronald Reagan. Served as governor and resigned on January 10.
During the administration of President George W. Bush, he served as director of the Drug Enforcement Administration and undersecretary of the Department of Homeland Security. He also represented the state’s 3rd congressional district, a seat his brother Tim held before becoming a U.S. Senator. Asa Hutchinson was the House impeachment manager during the impeachment of President Bill Clinton.
Since leaving the governor’s mansion, Hutchinson has spent much of his time promoting himself to voters outside his state. ArizonaBefore leaving office, Hutchinson told The Washington Post in December, citing his America Strong and Free PAC, that he would assemble a key policy team around ideas he thought were important to the country, and put them in the running for president. said he was considering running for
While he tried to make himself stand out, he also harshly criticized Trump, saying the Jan. 6 riots “disqualified” the former president from returning to the White House.
Hutchinson previously appeared to refer to Trump, saying, “The temptation is to be the loudest speaker in the room.” I don’t think so.”
Hutchinson could face funding challenges compared to candidates from states with deep funders like DeSantis, according to Arkansas Republican strategist Robert Kuhn. Last year, his PAC raised more than his $127,000, but DeSantis’ fundraising broke records in the reelection race, raising $200 million.
Hutchinson contrasted Trump in an interview. He condemned Trump’s meeting with white supremacist Nick Fuentes in November, comparing it to the then-Republican indictment of white supremacists in the Ozark Mountains when he was a federal attorney in the 1980s. was one of the most important people in
“The last time I saw a white supremacist, it was an armed confrontation. I was wearing a bulletproof vest, so I arrested them, charged them, sent them to prison,” he told CNN’s Dana. told Bash. “So I don’t think it’s a good idea for a leader who sets an example for a country or a party to meet someone who is an outspoken racist or anti-Semite.”
As governor, Hutchinson established personal and corporate income tax breaks. He also signed the abortion ban that came into effect when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled. Law vs Wade last year. Hutchinson later lamented that he had signed a law that did not include an exception for rape and incest, saying it went against his personal beliefs.
Hutchinson has vetoed and overturned a bill banning gender-affirming services for transgender youth, but his work on LGBTQ issues has faced criticism. He signed a law banning transgender women and girls from participating in school sports teams, and he urged doctors and health care professionals to discourage patients from receiving medical treatment on moral, ethical, or religious grounds. provided the right to refuse necessary medical treatment.
Rhett Hatcher, an Arkansas Republican strategist and former Hutchinson legislative director, said the governor of Arkansas has shown leadership qualities in the response to the pandemic. Hutchinson encouraged masking and vaccination in ways other Republican governors didn’t, Hatcher said, although the state didn’t shut down compared to Democratic-led states. Hatcher said the conference was well-watched.
“I think he’s the same person in public and private,” Hatcher said. “He has credibility and people respond to that.”
Hannah Knowles contributed to this report.
[ad_2]
Source link