White House aides passed along an apology from President Joe Biden to former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson on Wednesday after the Democratic National Committee (DNC) mocked him for dropping out of the Republican primary race.
As Valuetainment previously reported, Hutchinson suspended his struggling campaign on Tuesday after an abysmal sixth-place finish in the Iowa Caucuses. Despite a lengthy political resume, the former governor struggled to gain national support. His efforts were further confounded by a lackluster performance at the first Republican debate in Milwaukee and his fierce criticism of former President Donald Trump.
At the caucuses on Monday, Trump easily cruised to victory with 51 percent of the vote. Meanwhile, Hutchinson failed to register 1 percent, finishing behind even Texas Pastor Ryan Binkley, who never qualified for a debate and was not included in most national polls.
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Following Hutchinson’s withdrawal, the Democratic National Committee seized the opportunity to add insult to injury.
“This news comes as a shock to those of us who could’ve sworn he had already dropped out,” DNC National Press Secretary Sarafina Chitika said in a statement the following day.
Despite Hutchinson’s relative unpopularity with the Republican voter base, many online saw the statement as being in poor taste, with even stronger criticism coming from the “Never Trump” wing of the party. President Biden himself reportedly requested that an apology be sent to Hutchinson on his behalf on Wednesday.
“President Biden has deep respect for Gov. Hutchinson and admires the race that he ran,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters. “The president knows him to be a man of principle who cares about our country and has a strong record of public service.”
Jean-Pierre further confirmed that White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients conveyed Biden’s apology, emphasizing that the DNC’s quip “did not represent the president’s views.”
.@PressSec on DNC statement regarding @AsaHutchinson's suspended presidential campaign: "The president has deep respect for Governor Hutchinson…Jeff Zients called the governor to apologize on behalf of the president and it did not reflect his views." pic.twitter.com/ydb8EzKE4N
— CSPAN (@cspan) January 17, 2024
After receiving the call from Zients, Hutchinson stated that the apology “was not necessary but still appreciated.”
“We can disagree without demonizing,” he continued. “The bipartisan push back will hopefully lead to more focus on issues that are important to Americans.”
The call from the White House was not necessary but still appreciated. We can disagree without demonizing. The bipartisan push back will hopefully lead to more focus on issues that are important to Americans. https://t.co/WMgV2xKo8r
— Gov. Asa Hutchinson (@AsaHutchinson) January 17, 2024
“I am gratified that so many from both parties have rebuffed this type of ridicule as unnecessary and demeaning to all in the public arena,” Hutchinson told ABC News. “From my standpoint this is all very minor but both parties need to rise above pettiness and focus on things that matter to Americans.”
Connor Walcott is a staff writer covering politics, culture, and business for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X (Twitter).
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