On Sunday, Republican Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said former President Donald Trump was “morally responsible” for the Capitol incursion on Jan. 6, 2021.
During an appearance on “Fox News Sunday,” Hutchinson, who has said he is considering running for president in 2024, was asked about the hearing held last week by the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack.
Hutchinson called the panel hand-picked by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi “not the most bipartisan effort” and said Americans “want to hold the people who are responsible for the Jan. 6 attack accountable.”
“Now, the whole premise of the hearing is that President Trump is criminally responsible, and that’s the case that they’re trying to make,” Hutchinson said. “As Bill Barr has said, I think that is a heavy lift. I don’t see the factual basis for that.”
Hutchinson then said Trump is not blameless.
“You can make the case, and I would agree, that he is politically and morally responsible, but much of what has happened. But in terms of criminal liability, I think the committee has a long way to go before they could establish that,” he said.
The remark triggered waves from those who disagreed.
Asa Hutchinson selling out MAGA to the Globalist Elites — going to ‘delink’ conservative issues from Trump https://t.co/L3rJN8SQuY
— Jillian (@Jillian22Betsy) May 18, 2022
“The Republican Party has to move past former Trump,” said Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.” Is RINO Hutchinson so delusional to think he can win a primary against Trump? 45 has a 97% approval rating in the GOP, but old Asa thinks it’s time to “move on” from MAGA. What a schmuck! pic.twitter.com/jmMJCHYuB9
— Mal Luber (@LuberMal) May 18, 2022
Hutchinson said the future is what truly matters.
“I think the key thing politically is that the American public does not want us to focus on the past. It’s an important review, but I think the Democrats make a mistake if they simply want to relitigate what they did in the impeachment,” he said.
Hutchinson said the future of the Republican Party, as well as the nation, should be different from its past.
“Well, I hope that the future of the Republican Party is different than former President Trump’s leadership. I hope we move in a different direction. I believe that what happened on Jan. 6 is a lot at his feet. It was wrong for our country and for him to continue to push that theory I agree is the wrong direction for the Republican Party,” he said.
“I think there’s many Republicans that are looking for an off-ramp, new opportunities to find leadership in the future,” he said.
Trump “got off track in Jan. 6 and that was a costly error for our democracy,” Hutchinson said.
Does former President Donald Trump bear any responsibility for the Capitol incursion?
“And I agree with a lot of the comments. He is — he has a responsibility there. We need to make sure that’s clear,” he said.
Hutchinson said Republicans “need to do a lot of soul-searching as to what is the right thing here, what is the right thing to say for our party and our democracy and our future, and not simply appeal to the basest instincts of some of our base.”
