Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson argued on Sunday that former President Donald Trump’s allegations of voter fraud during the 2020 election could spell disaster for Republicans in the upcoming midterms.
Mr. Hutchinson, who has not ruled out a run for the GOP nomination in 2024, made the comments during an appearance on MSNBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“Re-litigating 2020 is a recipe for disaster in 2022,” he said. “The election is passed, it’s been certified, the states have made decisions on the integrity of each of their elections and made improvements where need be.”
Mr. Hutchinson urged Republicans to focus on the present and the future when attempting to woo voters. The governor, in particular, argued that Mr. Trump’s claims of widespread electoral fraud were not “constructive” to the GOP’s ambitions of retaking Congress.
“We can win in 2022, we’re going to,” said Mr. Hutchinson. “But let’s focus on the important issues of our supply chain, of getting over this pandemic, about freedom and not the last election.”
Prohibited from seeking a third term as Arkansas’ chief executive next year, Mr. Hutchinson has openly flirted with the idea of running for president in 2024.
If he were to run, Mr. Hutchinson would be a long shot for the GOP nomination. In recent months he has sparred over transgender issues with conservative activists, who are an influential cohort of the Republican base.
• Haris Alic can be reached at halic@washingtontimes.com.
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