"I have made a decision, and my decision is I'm going to run for president of the United States," Hutchinson told Karl. "While the formal announcement will be later in April, in Bentonville [Arkansas], I want to make it clear to you, Jonathan, I am going to be running. And the reason is, I've traveled the country for six months, I hear people talk about the leadership of our country. I'm convinced that people want leaders that appeal to the best of America, and not simply appeal to our worst instincts."
The former governor told Karl he is inspired by his travels around the country over the last six months and acknowledged it would take "a lot of hard work and good messaging" to raise his national profile and break through a crowded primary field.
"I think it's a sad day for America that we have a former president that's indicted, and so it's a great distraction, but at the same time, we can't set aside what our Constitution requires -- which is electing a new leader for our country -- just because we have this side controversy and criminal charges that are pending. And so we've got to press on, and the American people are gonna have to separate what the ideas are for our future," he said.
Karl pressed Hutchinson on whether he believes Trump should drop out of the race now that he’s been indicted.
"I do," Hutchinson said, standing by the position he took before Trump was charged. "I mean, first of all, the office is more important than any individual person. And so for the sake of the office of the presidency, I do think that's too much of a sideshow and distraction and he needs to be able to concentrate on his due process and there is a presumption of innocence."
"I've always said that people don't have to step aside from public office if they're under investigation, but if it reaches the point of criminal charges that have to be answered, the office is always more important than a person. And so, there's some consistency there. And I do believe if we're looking at the presidency and the future of our country, then we don't need that distraction," he added.
In contrast to GOP presidential candidates and potential candidates, Hutchinson did not blast the indictment as purely political, noting "the grand jury found probable cause and that's the standard for any criminal charges in our society." (...)
Despite his critique of Trump, the former Arkansas governor drew a distinction that his political position is in the “non-Trump lane” rather than the “anti-Trump lane.”
"When I say ‘non-Trump’, I want to be able to speak to the Trump voters. I want to be able to speak to all of the party and say, ‘This is the leadership that I want to provide, and I think that we need to have border security. I think we need to have a strong America; we need to spend less at the federal level.’ These are the values that I represent," Hutchinson said.
by Alisa Wiersema, ABC News | Read more:
Image: ABC News
[ed. He's still a Republican. But hey, anyone who promotes comity and normality and actual governing over batshit crazy and performative politics is definitely going to be an improvement. Granted, it's a pretty low bar, but at least he's giving the party an option going foward. We'll see what they do with it. See also: Why Asa Hutchinson’s view of the world isn’t working for Republicans (Politico).]
[ed. He's still a Republican. But hey, anyone who promotes comity and normality and actual governing over batshit crazy and performative politics is definitely going to be an improvement. Granted, it's a pretty low bar, but at least he's giving the party an option going foward. We'll see what they do with it. See also: Why Asa Hutchinson’s view of the world isn’t working for Republicans (Politico).]
