Asa Hutchinson calls on Trump to drop out of 2024 contest if indicted

Ryan King

March 12, 08:58 AM March 12, 09:51 AM

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) urged former President Donald Trump to drop out of the 2024 contest if he gets indicted.

Lawyers for the Manhattan district attorney’s office have reportedly been hinting to Trump's lawyers that he could face charges over an alleged hush-money payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels back in the 2016 election cycle. Hutchinson argued that such an indictment would be a major "distraction."

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"It's out of respect for the institution of the presidency of the United States. And, that's a distraction that is difficult to run for the highest office in the land under those circumstances," Hutchinson told USA TODAY.

Hutchinson has long been an unabashed critic of Trump and is mulling a 2024 primary challenge against him. He has signaled that a decision about whether to run will come in April. The former governor also argued that a plethora of other legal troubles dogging Trump hinder his 2024 chances.

"I know he's going to say that they're politically motivated and all of those things, but the fact is, there's just a lot of turmoil out there with the number of investigations going on," he said.

With legal firestorms mounting on multiple fronts, Trump has been resolute that he won't drop out of the race even if indicted.

“Oh, absolutely, I won’t even think about leaving,” Trump told reporters when asked at a gaggle before his Conservative Political Action Conference address. “Probably, it’ll enhance my numbers, but it’s a very bad thing for America. It’s very bad for the country.”

Trump's former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen is set to deliver testimony to the Manhattan district attorney’s office. The former president is also facing legal scrutiny from special counsel Jack Smith's sprawling investigation over his actions surrounding the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, as well as the coinciding efforts to challenge the 2020 election, and his handling of classified documents. New York Attorney General Letitia James is also pursuing a sweeping $250 million civil lawsuit against Trump.

"It doesn't mean that he's guilty of it or he should be charged, but it's just such a distraction that would be unnecessary for somebody who's seeking the highest office in the land," Hutchinson added.

WATCH: Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson calls Biden ‘inconsistent’ on Title 42

Steff Thomas

December 24, 05:23 PM December 24, 05:30 PM

The Biden administration has maintained that the COVID-19 pandemic isn’t over, but the rush to end Title 42 shows how “inconsistent” their claims are, according to Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R-AR).

Hutchinson said President Joe Biden has a “separate agenda” and is not merely trying to manage the public health crisis, but is using the emergency to extend Medicaid requirements.

“The fact is, we still have COVID. We still have flu. And we manage the COVID in the same way that you manage the flu, not in the sense of a public health emergency,” Arkansas's governor said Friday on Fox Business's The Evening Edit.

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“Totally inconsistent. We need to continue [Title 42]. He knows what's coming ahead,” Hutchinson told host Elizabeth MacDonald. “It's unacceptable to say that we've got to end this now.”

Title 42 of the Public Health Service Act of 1944 was enacted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in March 2020, one week after then-President Donald Trump declared a national emergency over the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020.

The policy gave the Trump administration the ability to deny the admission of goods and people who posed a risk of spreading a communicable disease. Under the law, all noncitizens seeking asylum at ports of entry and those who crossed illegally between the ports were to be expelled back immediately into Mexico and not be taken into custody by Border Patrol.

The Arkansas Republican said the administration should keep the policy in place until April to give Congress time to enact specific changes to the Trump-era immigration policy.

“[There are] other ways to approach it that would protect our border. Congress needs to address it in that fashion,” he said.

Top Biden officials, such as Dr. Anthony Fauci, have been silent about the end of Title 42, even as they’ve worked tirelessly to promote vaccination and other COVID-related restrictions. Hutchinson came to Fauci’s defense.

“While he should speak out and be clear, and he doesn't need to get in the political arena, he's a public health official, [so] he ought to stick to the public health requirements,” the governor said, since it’s a topic overlaid with politics.

But sometimes, Hutchinson noted, the leadership has to reverse what public health officials say in order to keep the economy moving or to protect the border. “We've got to put a practicality to our border security,” he said.

“Title 42 needs to continue, not because Dr. Fauci is saying we have a public health crisis, but because it is the practical thing that we need to do right now. Until we enact other options to protect our border: That's the bottom line,” Hutchinson said.

The policy was slated to expire on Wednesday but was kept from termination after Chief Justice John Roberts issued a temporary administrative stay following an emergency plea from 19 Republican-led states.

The Biden administration also asked the Supreme Court on Tuesday for a delay in the termination, asking for the program to conclude no sooner than next week.

Asa Hutchinson slams Trump 2024 as ‘worst scenario' for Republicans

Rachel Schilke

December 14, 11:10 AM December 14, 11:12 AM

Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R-AR) is the latest GOP leader to speak out against former President Donald Trump's reelection campaign, stating that his 2024 bid for the White House is the "worst scenario" for the party.

Hutchinson, who is laying the groundwork for his presidential bid, said in an interview with the that he would not rule out supporting Trump if he were the GOP nominee but that his candidacy would only aid the Democrats and President Joe Biden in securing a win.

“That’s really the worst scenario,” Hutchinson said regarding another showdown between Trump and Biden. “That’s almost the scenario that Biden wishes for. And that’s probably how he got elected the first time. It became, you know, a binary choice for the American people between the challenges that we saw in the Trump presidency, particularly the closing days, versus Biden, who he made it that choice.”

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Hutchinson, however, has previously said he would not support Trump in 2024, stating that his irresponsible behavior is not something the people want to see in a president.

The Arkansas governor also denounced Trump's calls to terminate the Constitution, saying the former president's words were "so out of line and out of step with America that it almost does not deserve a response."

“It hurts our country,” he said. “I mean, any leader, former president that says suspend the Constitution is tearing at the fabric of our democracy. And so we want to make sure that the people know that it’s Republicans that support the rule of law.”

He is not the only GOP leader worried about how Trump's reelection bid will reflect on the Republican Party. Several are concerned that the House and Senate, as well as the White House, could slip from GOP grasp if the party splits over backing Trump or moving forward with someone else.

Many blame Trump for the lackluster performance of the Republicans in the 2022 midterm elections, particularly after the GOP lost heavily in key states such as Arizona, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, and New Hampshire.

However, Hutchinson does not think the midterm elections reflect citizens' rejection of the Republican Party as a whole, just their aversion to select candidates.

“The midterm elections made it clear to me that the GOP needs a bold agenda, but also new voices that’s articulating what our party stands for, the direction we want to take our country,” Hutchinson said.

Hutchinson joins several other Republicans who have teased or even announced bids for the 2024 presidency. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) is maintaining a high favorable rating, with many polls showing Trump trailing him significantly.

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Despite widespread negative feelings against Trump, Hutchinson said he does not believe the GOP will make the same mistake it did in 2016 and attempt to block Trump by splitting the vote. Early primaries in caucus states can be expected to bring out new Republican candidates, he said.

"I think it will be much more methodical this cycle than what we’ve seen in previous years,” he said. “And I think that competition is good and it’s healthy.”