Asa Hutchinson Calls GOP Rallying Behind Trump A “Mistake”

(AmericanProsperity.com) – Former Republican Governor of Arkansas Asa Hutchinson clashed with his fellow presidential candidates after former president Donald Trump’s federal indictment.

During a June 9 interview with the Washington Examiner, he criticized the candidates for their statements against the US Department of Justice. Hutchinson pointed out that these statements were an attempt to please Trump’s base to increase their popularity numbers.

Hours before the interview, the DOJ charged Trump with 37 felony counts, resulting from a probe into the discovery of classified documents at his Florida house and other places after leaving office. Right after the indictment, many Trump supporters and conservative leaders criticized the DOJ and expressed solidarity with the former president. Some of these included Republican presidential candidates Vivek Ramaswamy, Nikki Haley, and even Ron DeSantis.

Hutchinson told the Examiner that supporting Trump under this circumstance is “not good” for the Republican Party and its voters. He said backing Trump indicates blind support for a candidate and that it discredits federal law enforcement. The former Arkansas governor also told the Examiner it’s a “mistake” for the party to assume a stance on this matter without “knowing all the facts.”

Hutchinson, who was a federal law enforcement official, said that dismissing a prosecution as political undermines both the rule of law and fairness. He also explained that, while the justice system needs some reforms, claiming that this has been weaponized by the Democrats to persecute Republicans is a lie.

The former governor even said that both the Democratic and Republican administrations have abused the US Justice Department. He pointed out that an accurate example of the politicization of this department is the case of Trump firing attorney generals for not doing what he wanted them to.

Finally, Hutchinson said he wouldn’t commit to supporting the candidate who wins the nomination, even when this is a prerequisite to participate in the primary debates.