Who is former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson?

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(NewsNation) — Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson challenged former President Donald Trump in the 2024 GOP primary. While he failed to gain the nomination, he could be a contender for a cabinet position or Trump’s vice president.

Here’s what to know about Asa Hutchinson and his political views:

• Asa Hutchinson’s relationship with Donald Trump
• Abortion
• Law enforcement reform
• Israel, Palestine
• China and Taiwan
• Welfare, labor and inflation
• Border
• Social security
• Fentanyl Crisis
• Climate change
• Rural development

Who is Asa Hutchinson?

Hutchinson served as governor of Arkansas from 2015 to 2023, previously headed the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) under President George W. Bush and served as undersecretary for border protection at the Department of Homeland Security. Before that, he also served as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, appointed by President Ronald Reagan.

After announcing his 2024 Republican candidacy in April 2023, Asa Hutchinson failed to perform well in the polls and did not qualify for the second and third GOP debates.

He also expressed concerns about the potential dangers of renominating Trump, urging fellow Republicans to exercise caution. As Trump continued to be the front-runner and other GOP candidates gained more support, Hutchinson suspended his campaign shortly after the Iowa caucuses.

Hutchinson’s relationship with Trump

At the start of his campaign, Hutchinson was openly critical of Trump. He suggested Trump drop out of the race following his first round of criminal indictments and also rebuked his fellow primary candidates for saying they would pardon Trump if elected.

Hutchinson openly said he would not vote for Trump in 2024, despite voting for him in 2016 and 2020, but also said he would not be voting for President Joe Biden.

He also called the Jan. 6 Capitol riots a threat to democracy and rejected the idea that participants were patriots.

Asa Hutchinson’s political views

Outside of his views on the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, Hutchinson has stuck close to GOP positions. Arkansas resumed executing prisoners under his tenure and he also signed a 2019 law that would criminalize abortion in a near-total ban if Roe v. Wade were overturned.

Hutchinson instituted work requirements for Medicaid in the state and signed a law that prevented local governments from extending civil rights protections for LGBTQ people. He also signed a law prohibiting COVID-19 vaccination requirements and one that prohibited mask mandates. He later said he regretted the second bill but continued to advocate for businesses to defy vaccine mandates.

Here’s a look at Asa Hutchinson’s other policy positions and political views as he competes for your vote:

Federal abortion ban, Roe v. Wade

• Expressed readiness to sign a federal abortion ban with exceptions for the life of the mother, rape and incest, CNN reported. 
• As governor in 2021, he had previously signed a near-total abortion ban without these exceptions, with the hope of challenging the Roe v. Wade ruling. 
• “I am a pro-life governor, from a conservative state that has a conservative record,” he said during the first presidential debate.

Crime, law enforcement reform and armed officers

• He pushed for an increase in arrests for people who break laws, the Iowa State Daily reported.
• Following a school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, Hutchinson advocated for the placement of armed officers in every school, the Arkansas Advocate reported. 
• Hutchinson vetoed legislation in 2021 that would prohibit local police from enforcing federal gun laws, saying the measure would jeopardize law enforcement and the public, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported.

Stance on Israel and Palestine, the war in Ukraine

• Hutchinson said the U.S. “will continue our support of Ukraine.”
• “If we stand by and let this nation falter, it leaves a hostile Russia on the doorstep of our NATO allies,” he said, adding, “By taking a supportive and public stand in Ukraine, we’re sending a message to Russia and to China that their aggressive posture towards other nation-states is unacceptable.” 
• Hutchinson voiced backing for Israel in its conflict with Hamas and noted his concern about a trend among some Republican candidates who advocate for isolating the United States from the global community, USA Today reported. 
• As governor, Hutchinson enacted a bill preventing Arkansas from contracting with businesses boycotting Israel and reduced payments to contractors not pledging to oppose such boycotts, The New York Times reported. 

China, Taiwan foreign policy

• As Arkansas governor in 2017, Hutchinson facilitated $1.4 billion in deals with Chinese businesses for expansion in Arkansas. Some companies receiving state tax incentives had connections to his son, The New York Times reported. 
• While he opposes armed conflict with China, he advocates leveraging regional alliances, strengthening the naval fleet, and, if necessary, taking a confrontational stance to protect U.S. interests and maintain open sea lanes, The New York Times reported.

Welfare, labor and inflation

• In his presidential bid, he pledged to cut taxes and reduce regulations to boost the private sector and enhance wages for American workers by implementing policies and training programs to grow the labor pool, especially in manufacturing.
• He has suggested implementing work requirements for welfare as a cost-cutting measure, emphasizing that the federal government should not incentivize individuals to stay at home when they can work and support themselves, The New York Times reported. 
• He plans to embrace an “all-of-the-above” policy by reversing restrictions on pipeline construction and drilling, removing barriers to nuclear power and ending the “war” on fossil fuels. 
• When he was the Arkansas governor from 2015 to 2023, he secured over $700 million per year in tax cuts, safeguarded the retirement pay of veterans from the state income tax, shrank the size of state government, created over 100,000 new jobs and led a national initiative to increase computer science education, according to his campaign.

Border crisis, immigration and citizenship

• He has advocated for reforming immigration policy and transitioning to a merit-based system that looks at an individual’s skills to decide if they can immigrate or not.  
• He advocated for increased Border Patrol agents and proposed murder charges for those accused of supplying fatal fentanyl in a Fox News opinion essay. 
• He supports reinstating the “Remain in Mexico” policy but opposes family separation and executive action to eliminate birthright citizenship.  
• While not ruling out a pathway to citizenship, he insists on securing the border first. He says introducing a bill to Congress to update the technology and infrastructure to manage the border would be the first thing he does if he became president.
• Hutchinson signed legislation in April 2021 allowing immigrants with federal work permits to receive occupational and professional licenses in Arkansas, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported. 
• Hutchinson said in September 2021 that he was one of 26 Republican governors who signed a letter to President Joe Biden asking to meet with him in hopes of ending what Hutchinson described as a national security crisis created by six months of ineffective border enforcement, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported.

Social Security and Medicare

• Hutchinson suggested a plan reminiscent of Reagan’s approach in the early 1980s to Social Security and Medicare: the establishment of a bipartisan commission. This commission would be tasked with making tough decisions on the funding of programs in a less politically charged atmosphere, aiming to promote a more objective and consensus-driven approach, USA Today reported.  
• In 2018, he signed into law legislation to continue the state’s Medicaid expansion, which imposed a work requirement on thousands of participants, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported. 

Fentanyl crisis, opioid epidemic

• He proposed murder charges for those accused of supplying fatal fentanyl in a Fox News opinion piece. 
• He previously said there needs to be federal action to curb the flow of illegal fentanyl into the United States because it is killing so many people, WMUR reported.
• Having served as a former head of the DEA, Hutchinson has said, “I am prepared to provide real solutions for the fentanyl crisis our communities face. 

Climate Change, renewable energy

• Hutchinson opposes government mandates but supports private development of renewable energy. While rejecting government-led emission reduction efforts, he expressed openness to market-driven solutions for a cleaner energy transition. 
• Hutchinson acknowledges the reality of climate change and human contributions but downplays it as an existential threat to the U.S.  
• He plans to lift restrictions on pipelines, drilling, and supports carbon-free nuclear power, intending to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, which he believes hinders economic growth, The New York Times reported. 
• Previously critical of former President Barack Obama’s power plant regulations, he praised Trump’s environmental deregulation.  
• Hutchinson, along with other Republican governors, pledged to sue if the federal government mandated emission reductions, citing concerns about unrealistic timelines harming the economy and American families. 

Rural development

• As governor, Hutchinson was named the 2018 “Rural Advocate of the Year” by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) and Arkansas Rural Development Commission.
• “Throughout his distinguished career, Governor Hutchinson has made rural communities one of his priorities,” the executive director of the agency said. “His leadership has improved life greatly for rural Arkansas.”
• Hutchinson said, “My childhood in rural Arkansas is a vital part of who I became and everything I do. My appreciation for the people who live in our rural communities figures into almost all of the decisions I make. I am honored and humbled to be selected as the Rural Advocate of the Year. I haven’t forgotten where I came from, and I will continue to stand up for rural Arkansas.”
• 41 percent of Arkansas’ population lives in rural counties. In 2019, Hutchinson presented grants totaling $586,633.14 to 49 cities and rural counties throughout Arkansas.
• He also launched the “Arkansas Rural Connect,” a new $25 million grant program within the Arkansas State Broadband Office to provide high-speed broadband to rural communities throughout Arkansas by 2022.

The Hill contributed to this report.