Posted on 04/26/23
| News Source: Newsmax
Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson formally launched his Republican presidential campaign Wednesday, pledging to “bring out the best of America” and aiming to draw contrasts with other GOP hopefuls on top issues, including how best to reform federal law enforcement agencies.
The 72-year-old Hutchinson kicked off his 2024 bid in his hometown of Bentonville, on the same steps where he launched an unsuccessful U.S. Senate campaign 30 years ago.
“I ran as a conservative Republican when being a Republican was like having a career-ending handicap,” Hutchinson said, adding, “And now, I bring that same vigor to fight another battle, and that battle is for the future of our country and the soul of our party.”
The stalwart conservative, who announced in a television interview earlier this month that he intended to run, has been a rare figure among announced or expected GOP presidential hopefuls in his willingness to criticize former President Donald Trump, calling for him to drop out of the 2024 race instead of seeking another term in the White House.
And while Trump has fixated his campaign message around his claims about the 2020 election he lost, Hutchinson has said voters need a candidate who is not focused on the past.
Hutchinson emphasized his background in law enforcement. He previously served as head of the Drug Enforcement Administration and former undersecretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
“There are a few misguided leaders who say we should defund law enforcement, we should defund the FBI. I am here today in support of our law enforcement heroes,” Hutchinson said.
He went on to say, “We should not defund the FBI, but we do need serious reform to refocus the core functions of our federal law enforcement.” He said the FBI needs to be “trimmed down and focused on its No. 1 duty: leading our counterterrorism mission.”
Hutchinson, also a former U.S. attorney and congressman, launched his bid a day after President Joe Biden formally announced his reelection campaign. Hutchinson has argued that neither Biden nor Trump is focused on the future.