Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) on Thursday said he’s considering a 2024 presidential run and urged the Republican Party to move on from former President Trump.
“I’m looking at it, I’m looking at it very seriously,” Hutchinson told “CNN This Morning” host Kaitlan Collins. “I’m encouraged that a governor who’s actually solved problems, who has a conservative, commonsense approach, can draw support and can be a good alternative.”
Hutchinson said he was looking at making a decision in January.
The Arkansas governor also argued Trump — who announced his 2024 presidential candidacy on Tuesday — should no longer be the face of the GOP after Republicans underperformed in the midterm elections last week.
Hutchinson said he doubted that Trump could prevail in a Republican primary like he did in 2016.
“People understand who Donald Trump is today and his style, and I don’t think there’s going to be anything new in his approach,” Hutchinson told CNN. “I don’t believe it will be the same as 2016. He’s a known quantity now, we know the chaos that comes with him. That’s really not the kind of leadership that’s good for America.”
A number of Republican leaders have spoken out against Trump following the party’s losses in the midterm elections, saying he backed flawed candidates.
Democrats maintained their majority in the Senate, and while Republicans captured the House, they will have a razor-thin majority.
Other potential 2024 GOP presidential contenders include Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a rising star in the Republican Party who has flirted with a 2024 bid, and former Vice President Mike Pence.
Pence on Wednesday said Americans want a “new style of leadership” that brings “civility and respect” back to politics.