Asa Hutchinson, a former governor of the southern US state of Arkansas, has announced his candidacy for president in 2024, saying Donald Trump should drop out of the race to face his legal challenges.
“I’m going to run for president of the United States,” the 72-year-old conservative, who is also a former member of Congress, said on ABC’s “This Week.”
“I want to offer an alternative” to Trump, he said, confirming a recent statement that if indicted, the former president must drop out of the race.
“For the sake of the office of president, I think that’s too much of a sideshow and distraction, and he needs to be able to focus on his due process,” Hutchinson said.
“I’ve always said people shouldn’t have to resign from public office if they’re under investigation, but when it comes to criminal charges, the office is always more important than a person.”
However, like other senior Republicans, M. Hutchinson said he was critical of what he knows about the pending charge.
Hutchinson made his own case, vowing to focus on issues such as border security, the economy and US leadership.
“We need to talk about America’s leadership in the world, when Russia and China take advantage of every weakness America shows,” said Hutchinson, whose rural Southern state has also produced Democrat President Bill Clinton.