Asa Hutchinson, former governor of the southern US state of Arkansas, announced his candidacy for the 2024 presidency on Sunday.
“I will run for President of the United States”said the 72-year-old Republican, who is also a former member of Congress, on ABC’s “This Week” program.
EXCLUSIVE: Former GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson announces during an interview with @JonKarl that he will be president.
“I’m a firm believer that people want leaders who appeal to the best of America and not just our worst instincts.” https://t.co/DmytxAAfAL pic.twitter.com/f2lcIBQeqD
– This Week (@ThisWeekABC) April 2, 2023
“I want to offer an alternative” to Trump, he said, confirming a recent statement that if indicted, the former president must drop out of the presidential race.
“In the interest of the presidency, I think this is an afterthought and a distraction. He needs to be able to focus on his legal process,” Hutchinson said.
“I’ve always said people don’t have to walk away from public office when they’re under investigation, but when it comes to criminal charges against them that need to be answered…always more important than the person.”
However, like other senior Republicans, Hutchinson said he is critical of what he knows about the pending indictment of Trump.
Hutchinson pledged to focus on issues such as border security, the economy and US leadership in his candidacy. “We need to talk about America’s leadership in the world as Russia and China try to take advantage of the weaknesses the United States is showing,” Hutchinson said.
Trump’s shadow and the former president’s fiercely loyal core of supporters, united under the banner of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, have made would-be Republican rivals hesitant to commit to a 2024 presidential bid.
Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley was the first Republican to announce a candidacy for office, and Florida governor Ron DeSantis, though not yet announced, is seen as one of Trump’s main rivals.
Hutchinson served as governor of Arkansas from 2015 to 2023. In 2021, he signed a law banning abortion in all cases except to save the mother’s life.
The Democratic National Committee attacked Hutchinson in a statement Sunday, saying, “His support for Trump and the MAGA agenda speaks for itself. He’s just another extremist joining the ever-growing race to create MAGA.”
Source: DN
