Asa Hutchinson, the former governor of Arkansas, is running for president as a Republican. He has not broken out of the low single digits in any poll but managed to qualify for the debate stage in the first Republican debate, although not the second. Hutchinson has also been more willing than some candidates in the race to directly criticize former President Donald Trump, and that was met with a very negative reaction this weekend.
Speaking Out Against Trump
Hutchinson, along with several other GOP presidential candidates, appeared Saturday at the Florida Freedom Summit in Kissimmee, according to Fox News.
The former governor said at the summit that there is a “significant likelihood” that Trump will be convicted of a felony and that if that happens, it will hurt other Republicans down the ticket.
He stated that his experience as a lawyer makes it clear to him that a conviction of Trump on at least some charge is likely, across the ex-president’s four different criminal cases.
For that, Hutchinson was booed, for more than a minute.
“That may or may not happen. Before you vote in March, and it might not make any difference to you, but it will make a difference for our chances to attract independent voters in November,” Hutchinson said, over the din of boos, of the indictment possibility. “It will make a difference for those down-ticket races for Congress and Senate, and it will weaken the GOP for decades to come. As a party, we must support the rule of law.”
The boos continued as Hutchinson kept speaking.
“We cannot win as a country without integrity in the White House,” he added. ”And while some will ignore that destructive behavior of the former president, I assure you we ignore it at our own peril. The next generation will not look favorably back on this time.”
Reaction
Fans of Trump pushed back against Hutchinson, led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who ripped the candidate on social media.
“To hell with this guy! Drop out!!,” the Georgia Congresswoman said of Hutchinson. “ANYONE running for President that thinks they have a chance because they are banking on Pres Trump going to jail will NEVER have our support. The weaponized government and courts MUST be dismantled and fools who refuse to do it are part of it.”
That call comes as another major report stated what Trump plans to do with a potential second term. The Washington Post reported over the weekend that Trump and his allies have revenge and retribution on their mind in a second term, with specific plans to pursue criminal prosecutions of Trump’s various enemies and even former allies.
In addition, per the Post article, Trump has proposed using the Insurrection Act, to quell protests on his first day in office.
“In private, Trump has told advisers and friends in recent months that he wants the Justice Department to investigate onetime officials and allies who have become critical of his time in office, including his former chief of staff, John F. Kelly, and former attorney general William P. Barr, as well as his ex-attorney Ty Cobb and former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen. Mark A. Milley, according to people who have talked to him, who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private conversations,” the Post said. “Trump has also talked of prosecuting officials at the FBI and Justice Department, a person familiar with the matter said.”
It is not typical, in American politics, for presidential candidates to speak about wanting to use the machinery of government to persecute their political enemies or even their former allies – the Post suggests that Trump plans to pursue criminal investigations of former Attorney General William Barr, former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, and his own former attorney Ty Cobb, for reasons that remain unclear.
Author Expertise and Experience
Stephen Silver is a Senior Editor for 19FortyFive. He is an award-winning journalist, essayist and film critic, who is also a contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. Stephen has authored thousands of articles over the years that focus on politics, technology, and the economy for over a decade. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
