Outgoing Arkansas Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson was slammed Tuesday night for hinting during former President Donald Trump’s presidential announcement that he was considering his own run for president.
Hutchinson became an outcast on the political Right after he vetoed a bill last year that banned minors from receiving gender reassignment services from medical providers, including hormone treatments and puberty blockers.
The move was so unpopular that the Arkansas Legislature voted to override his veto. He was subsequently grilled during an interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
“As we expect an announcement from Mar-a-Lago tonight it is important to welcome new voices and ideas for our future,” Hutchinson tweeted before Trump’s speech. “I intend to be one of those leaders working for solutions to the serious challenges ahead.”
“Trump is correct on Biden’s failures, but his self-indulging message promoting anger has not changed,” he tweeted during the speech. “It didn’t work in 2022 and won’t work in 2024. There are better choices.”
Earlier this year, the governor told CNN’s “State of the Union” that he was considering a presidential run and said “But you’ve got to get through, of course, this year, but that’s an option that’s on the table.”
During a recent interview, Hutchinson said, “I plan to be in Iowa, South Carolina, New Hampshire and so we’re looking at 2024.”
The reaction to the tweets from Hutchinson, who is not even on the radar of polling firms tracking 2024 presidential contenders, was overwhelmingly negative.
“Do these stupid people understand that if Republican voters are offered a choice between them and Trump, Trump will be chose [sic] a hundred times out of a hundred?” political strategist Varad Mehta tweeted. “You have to give them a choice where they won’t choose Trump. And that doesn’t happen if Asa Hutchinson is an option.”
“You are competing with Nikki Haley and Mike Pompeo for Candidate I would Least Likely Vote for in The 2024 Republican Primary,” political commentator BowTiedRanger tweeted.
You are competing with Nikki Haley and Mike Pompeo for Candidate I would Least Likely Vote for in The 2024 Republican Primary.
— BowTiedRanger (@BowTiedRanger) November 16, 2022
“Great. You’re not one of them and your running only helps Trump,” conservative commentator AG Hamilton tweeted. “Stay home and back someone that can actually compete.”
“Being weak is something the left depends on, Gov. This is not helping anything,” Radio host Joe Pags tweeted. “The left will keep dunking on the right until people like you realize they’re in it to win it. Stop with the nicey nice BS. Nancy Pelosi et al are depending on your being nice.”
Governor Child Sex Change wants a seat at the table. https://t.co/L8QYq0CkB8
— The Partyman (@PartymanRandy) November 16, 2022
The 0% caucus expands
— Rayyan (@batmandude461) November 16, 2022
Solutions like advocating for the chemical castration of children. https://t.co/jS0fBHfWCs
— Rod D. Martin (@RodDMartin) November 16, 2022
Shut up squish https://t.co/y5N6HucQnd
— Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) November 16, 2022
Please explain why you decided to let biological males compete in girls’ sports https://t.co/USr4ykTUqT
— Will Chamberlain (@willchamberlain) November 16, 2022
It is immoral to run for an office you know you will lose at the expense of American donors. https://t.co/v3otUef2iN
— Fuller Chandler (@fullerchandler8) November 16, 2022
Trump’s new campaign comes after two years of Democrats controlling the White House and Congress, a unified government that helped fuel decades-high inflation and gas prices and historic levels of illegal immigration on the southern border. The Biden administration, notably, botched high-profile foreign policy decisions, including the withdrawal from Afghanistan — which fell to the Taliban almost immediately — and failed to completely end the COVID pandemic after promising to shut down the virus.
Trump’s allies say he is the best choice for the party’s nomination because he has already held the office and accomplished numerous feats during his administration, including strength on foreign policy, energy independence, a strong economy, a military that was being revamped and retooled for the wars of tomorrow, and his success in getting three conservative justices on the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court justices have been a particular high point for conservatives, particularly following the demise of Roe v. Wade in the summer.
Trump was largely considered to be the favorite for the Republican nomination heading into the 2024 cycle, and the day before the midterm elections — when Republicans were largely expected to easily ride a red wave into the majority in the House and Senate — he strongly hinted that his 2024 announcement would come the following week.
But a poor showing by Republicans and some of Trump’s high-profile handpicked candidates, combined with Trump’s subsequent attacks on fellow Republicans, has led to some in the party cooling on him in post-election polling.
One poll, commissioned by the Club For Growth, found that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had overtaken Trump 48% to 37% in Iowa, 52% to 37% in New Hampshire, 56% to 30% in Florida, and 55% to 35% in Georgia. Trump had previously led DeSantis in all of those states, as recently as just a few months ago, in that same poll.
A separate poll, conducted by CWS Research, found that DeSantis is now up over Trump in the state of Texas by 11 points. Last month, Trump led DeSantis by 17 points.
