It’s absolutely insane to think that there Republican candidates who do not want to pardon President Trump even thought they know the Democrats are relentlessly attacking them.
Asa Hutchinson, the Republican candidate vying for the presidential nomination, took a firm stance on Monday, expressing his reluctance to commit outright to pardoning former President Donald Trump in the event of Trump securing the nomination and emerging victorious in the general election.
Utilizing the social media platform X as his communication medium, the former governor of Arkansas aimed to carve out a distinctive position for himself among his competitors, particularly Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.
In a carefully worded statement, Hutchinson articulated, “Contrary to the promises made by Haley and DeSantis regarding the potential pardon of Donald Trump, I am not inclined to make such a commitment at this juncture. Promising pardons solely for political advantage raises ethical concerns and undermines the bedrock principle of impartial justice.”
Hutchinson, whose polling average on FiveThirtyEight currently hovers at less than 1% in primary polls, framed his remarks in response to the public commitments made by Haley and DeSantis, both of whom pledged to pardon Trump if they were to secure victory.
During her campaign in Plymouth, New Hampshire, last week, Haley stated, “The most prudent course of action for our nation is to extend a pardon to him, allowing us to collectively pivot and redirect our focus away from his presidency.”
DeSantis echoed similar sentiments, informing the press that he had already committed to the pardon, emphasizing the urgency for the nation to transcend its fixation on Trump. He drew parallels with former President Gerald Ford’s pardon of Richard Nixon as a historical precedent.
Despite Hutchinson’s marginal standing in primary polls, he remains resolute in his decision to persist in the race until at least Super Tuesday in March. In a November interview with ABC’s KHBS 29, he confidently anticipated a substantial transformation in the political landscape, especially as Trump progresses through ongoing legal proceedings. Hutchinson envisages noteworthy shifts in the dynamics of the presidential race, with some current front-runners potentially losing ground, while Trump navigates his way through legal challenges, setting the stage for dramatic changes.