Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson.Credit:AP
Trump “should not define our future. We have got to define it for ourself,” the Republican governor added.
Hutchinson had said after theJanuary 6 riot at the US Capitol,which led to Trump’s impeachment by the House,that he wanted Trump’s administration to end. But Hutchinson did not join calls for Trump to resign and said impeachment wasn’t a practical option.The Senate acquitted Trump of inciting the attack.
Hutchinson’s interview aired days after his nephew,Arkansas state Senator Jim Hendren,announced that he’s leaving the GOP,citing Trump’s rhetoric and the riot at the Capitol by Trump’s supporters.
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Trump had stoked a campaign of spreading debunked conspiracy theories and false violent rhetoric that the 2020 election was stolen from him in the weeks before the insurrection.
Since he left office on January 20,Trump has kept a relatively low profile in Palm Beach,Florida. He plans to make his first post-presidential appearance at a conservative gathering in Florida,giving a speech next Sunday that is expected to address the future of the GOP.
On Sunday,Hutchinson praised Trump’s family,including Trump’s daughter Ivanka,and said he also respected his nephew’s decision to continue his political career as an independent.