Campaign

Hutchinson: Trump has disqualified himself from ever holding presidency again

Republican presidential candidate former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson speaks during a fundraising event for U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, Sunday, Aug. 6, 2023, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Republican presidential candidate Asa Hutchinson responded to news of the fourth indictment of former President Trump by repeating his claim that Trump has disqualified himself from holding the presidency again. 

“Donald Trump has disqualified himself from ever holding our nation’s highest office again,” Hutchinson, the former Arkansas governor, wrote late Monday night in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Trump and 18 co-defendants were indicted in Georgia related to an alleged conspiracy to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. Trump faces 13 new charges, and every defendant was charged with racketeering. 

“This is another day of challenge for our democracy with the indictment handed down by the grand jury in Georgia,” Hutchinson wrote in a formal statement. “As a former federal prosecutor, I have personally pursued racketeering charges in federal court against terrorist organizations, and I understand the difficulty of a multi-defendant indictment and how slow the case will proceed in state court.”

“Regardless of the specifics of the Georgia indictment, I expect the voters will make the ultimate decision on the future of our democracy,” he said, adding “Over a year ago, I said that Donald Trump’s actions disqualified him from ever serving as President again. Those words are more true today than ever before.”

Hutchinson has been one of Trump’s most outspoken critics within the party since the Jan. 6, 2021, riot on the Capitol.