Hutchinson positions himself as law and order supporter as he stumps for GOP nomination
Former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson brought his long-shot White House bid to the National Press Club Monday, July 17, appearing at a Headliners Newsmaker event to outline an eight-point plan to reform federal law enforcement – and to draw a distinction between himself and the current GOP frontrunner.
“Donald Trump has done great harm to our rule of law in this country and to federal law enforcement,” Hutchinson said. “He has undermined their credibility in the eyes of the public.”
Casting his policy proposal as a counterweight to the former president’s fiery attacks on the FBI, Hutchinson called for changes that would restore public trust.
The bullet points ranged from the granular, like requiring the FBI to record all suspect interviews, to the pivotal, like de-emphasizing the bureau’s role in investigating drug crimes in order to free up counterterrorism resources.
However, while he argued that far-reaching reform was needed, he flatly dismissed Trump’s recent calls to defund the FBI and the Department of Justice.
“Defunding the FBI is [an] off the charts bad idea,” Hutchinson said. “Anyone who makes that argument is ignoring reality and weakens our law enforcement.”
Hutchinson, a former U.S. state attorney and previous head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, positioned himself during the event as the most qualified Republican candidate when it comes to law and order.
His candidacy has been slow to gain traction since launching in April. His support has consistently hovered around one percent in polls and he risks failing to meet the 40,000 donor threshold that would elevate him to his party's debate stage this August.
Adding to the former governor’s troubles, he’s faced open hostility from some Trump supporters. During an appearance Sunday, July 16, before the conservative Turning Point Action Conference in Florida, Hutchinson was loudly booed.
Hutchinson acknowledged the uphill battle at his Club appearance, but said that he remains optimistic. He claimed that his poor reception over the weekend was due to a few vocal adults, and that the negative reaction didn’t come from the college crowd that made up the bulk of the attendees. In fact, he claimed, he actually had a much different experience with conference-goers after the event.
“I was in the airport with all these young people, and we were in line for a long time, taking photographs, having conversations, and that's why I'm there, to engage that generation,” Hutchinson said.
As for whether or not he can net enough donors to qualify for the first televised Republican candidates' debate, Hutchinson expressed confidence.
“We're going to make that goal, and we have a plan to get there,” he said.” We've got time.”
The GOP field has grown to a dozen contenders since Hutchinson first announced his candidacy. Still, despite mounting challenges, he stressed that he continues to see a path to the nomination by distancing himself from his peers who pull their punches while confronting Trump.
“You can't hit a home run unless you take a swing at bat,” Hutchinson said. “I'm saying, ‘our country needs an alternative to Donald Trump.’ I believed it then. I believe it now.”
