Hutchinson says he believes ‘in providing an alternative’ to Trump

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) on Sunday said he believes in “providing an alternative” to former President Trump as the two candidates gear up for the GOP’s 2024 presidential primary.

Hutchinson said on CNN’s “State of the Union” that he’s “absolutely” found that there’s an appetite for his campaign within the GOP, even as Trump polls as the frontrunner among announced and possible Republican primary candidates.

“I wouldn’t be in this race if I didn’t believe it, and whenever you talk about a brand of Republicanism, sure, we have our principles that I believe in, which is limited government, which is a strong national defense. But you also look at evolving a party to meet the challenges of today and … the economy. And the American people trust Republicans more to handle the economy than the other side,” Hutchinson said.

“And whenever you look at Donald Trump, yes, he’s high in the polls. I believe in this. I believe in providing an alternative,” he added.

Hutchinson announced that he’d run for president earlier this month and formally launched his campaign last week. He’s positioned himself as a GOP alternative to the former president and to President Biden, both of whom are running again for the White House.

“The last thing that we need is another Joe Biden-Donald Trump race in 2024,” Hutchinson said earlier this month.

Hutchinson on Sunday also knocked another possible Republican presidential contender, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, over his dispute with Disney in the state.

“I don’t like what Disney said about the legislation that I would have supported in Florida. But it’s not the role of government to punish a business when you disagree with what they’re saying, or a position that they take,” Hutchinson said. “I don’t understand a conservative punishing a business that’s the largest employer in the state.”

Though DeSantis hasn’t formally announced he’ll run, he’s polled as a top potential challenger to Trump, though the former president has pulled further ahead in recent surveys.