Hutchinson warns Republicans to ‘back off’ allegations DOJ has been ‘weaponized’

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, one of several GOP presidential candidates, warned his fellow Republicans Sunday to “back off” allegations that the Justice Department has been “weaponized.”

“In terms of the overall charge of weaponization of the Justice Department, look at [former President] Donald Trump. He’s already declared that he — if he’s elected president, he’s gonna appoint a special prosecutor to go after the Biden family. That’s called a weaponization of the Justice Department,” Hutchinson said on ABC’s “This Week.”

“And so let’s back off of these accusations, and let’s get back to being the party of the rule of law, of the justice system supporting law enforcement and the equal application of law. Let’s don’t undermine the greatest justice system and criminal justice system and rule of law in the world today, this side of heaven,” Hutchinson said.

Trump, who is leading in national polls as the GOP frontrunner in 2024, has been charged with 37 counts in connection to his alleged mishandling of classified records. He’s pleaded not guilty and decried the case against him as politically motivated.

The indictment and charges have fueled claims from many on the right that the DOJ and federal government have been weaponized, and Trump has accused Biden himself of having a hand in the investigation. The White House has steadfastly avoided commenting on the indictment and asserted the DOJ operates independent of the president.

Hutchinson acknowledged he thinks the DOJ has “made some bad decisions,” but took issue with “the whole concept … that so many Republican leaders are adopting that this is the weaponization of the Justice Department.”