On Tuesday, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson suspended his long-shot Republican presidential nomination effort, ending a GOP throwback that failed to connect in a Trump-dominated party.
Hutchinson left a day after finishing sixth in Iowa's initial caucuses, behind Trump, other leading contenders, and pastor Ryan Binkley, who did not qualify for the debates. Hutchinson was the final GOP contender to aggressively challenge Trump.
“I congratulate Donald J. Trump for his win last night in Iowa and to the other candidates who competed and garnered delegate support,” Hutchinson added. Today, I'm stopping my presidential campaign and returning home to Arkansas. My pitch of being a committed Republican with experience and revealing the truth about the frontrunner failed in Iowa.”
Hutchinson's campaign manager, Alison Williams, said he wasn't endorsing yet. He received under 1% of the vote in most surveys and drew small audiences as the Republican presidential field shrank from more than a dozen to a few. After finishing fourth in Iowa behind Trump, DeSantis, and Haley, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy withdrew Monday night.
Hutchinson persisted in the campaign last year after better-funded and well-known contenders like Mike Pence and Tim Scott dropped out. Hutchinson defended his campaign Tuesday. “I answered every question, warned the GOP about 2024 risks and presented hope for our country's future,” he stated.
Hutchinson was booed during the first debate for saying he wouldn't support Trump if he was convicted in any of his four criminal cases and questioning whether Trump was disqualified from office for inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
“I am not going to support somebody who has been convicted of a serious felony or who is disqualified under our Constitution,” Hutchinson stated. He was disqualified from the following four presidential debates, denying him valuable exposure.
He termed another Trump White House run the “worst scenario” for the GOP and claimed the former president's pledge to repeal portions of the Constitution injured the country before joining the race. He signed the Republican National Committee's vow to support the nominee to make the debate stage, despite his objections. He suggested the party ask candidates to swear out third-party candidacy.