Gov said Asa Hutchinson expects Arkansas to end enhanced unemployment benefits on June 26.
Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson is running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, he announced Sunday.
“I hear people talking about the leadership of our country, and I’m convinced that people want leaders who appeal to the best of America, and not just appeal to our worst instincts,” he told ABC’s ” This week.”
Hutchinson said he thinks his experience, messaging and hope for the future will resonate with Americans. He plans to campaign and “be everywhere” when he makes the formal announcement about his presidential bid later this month, he said.
Former President Donald Trump is also vying for the presidency in 2024. A New York grand jury voted Thursday to indict Trump in connection with a $130,000 hush-hush payment to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election, and said Hutchinson said he thinks the accusation is reason for Trump to drop out of the race.
Trump’s indictment marked a “sad day for America,” Hutchinson said, but it was also a “great distraction.” He said it’s important to maintain the integrity of public office, so Trump should focus on his due process.
“I believe if we’re looking at the presidency and the future of our country, we don’t need that distraction and he needs to be able to concentrate on the legal issues he’s facing,” he said.
Hutchinson has served as governor of Arkansas since 2015, and he is positioning himself as an alternative to Trump. His successor, Trump’s former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, was sworn in on January 10, freeing him to pursue a shot at the presidency.
Since Trump’s indictment on Thursday, Hutchinson has been steadfast about his calls for Trump to drop out of the primaries. Hutchinson shared a statement on Twitter who said Trump “shouldn’t be the next president,” and he expressed that sentiment in a NPR interview Saturday before repeating it again Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.”
Hutchinson also served as undersecretary of the Department of Homeland Security and director of the Drug Enforcement Administration. He is also a member of the US House of Representatives and US Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas.
