Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson Says Republicans Must Move Past Trump
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who is contemplating a bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, said he wants his party to show more independence and break away from former President Donald Trump’s hold... The governor said he hopes to travel later this year to Iowa, where Republicans plan to host their first nominating contest of the 2024 presidential election cycle. In late April, he spoke in New Hampshire, where the party is expected to hold its second nominating contest. His fellow Arkansan, Sen. Tom Cotton, is also contemplating a presidential bid and has already made several trips to Iowa in the past year.
In suggesting Mr. Trump’s power over the party is waning, Mr. Hutchinson said some of the results from GOP primaries in May, especially the landslide victory for Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, sent a “powerful message” that shows “candidates can run on their own.”
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Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, both potential 2024 Republican presidential candidates, have also suggested the party should distance itself from Mr. Trump. A larger group of possible 2024 GOP presidential candidates have pledged loyalty to the former president, or said they won’t run if he does.
Still others have taken a more nuanced approach. Former Vice President Mike Pence has created some distance from his former boss, as he contemplates a presidential bid and makes appearances in early nomination voting states. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hasn’t said whether he would rule out running in 2024 if Mr. Trump does, as he has worked to build a larger national political network. Mr. Hutchinson acknowledged that a crowded Republican 2024 presidential primary field could split up the non-Trump vote and might help the former president secure the nomination, something the former president has strongly suggested he wants to do.
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In the wake of last week’s mass killing of 19 children and two teachers, Mr. Hutchinson said he is open to a conversation about raising the minimum age requirement from 18 for the purchase of some “AR-15 style guns” like the one used by an 18-year-old in Uvalde, Texas.
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https://www.wsj.com/articles/arkansas-gov-asa-hutchinson-says-republicans-must-move-past-trump-11654098889 (subscription)
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