2024 Presidential Election: Asa Hutchinson is the new Republican candidate

Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson announced Sunday that he will be a candidate for president in 2024. Hutchinson made the announcement in an interview on ABC's This Week. The Republican said he will make the official announcement later in April. In addition to being a U.S. Attorney in Arkansas, Hutchinson also served as Secretary of Homeland Security for Border Security and Transportation during the George W. Bush Administration.

Hutchinson has been entertaining the idea for quite some time, according to his interview. The former governor said he made the decision after traveling for six weeks across America and realizing that people are looking for leaders who represent the best of the country and who "don't just appeal to our worst instincts." Hutchinson said his official announcement will be made during an event in Bentonville, Arkansas.

The former governor left his position in January 2023. He was replaced by Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Last Friday, Hutchinson released a statement reacting to Trump's indictment over the Stormy Daniels case. In that statement, he said that "Donald Trump should not be the next president," although he also expressed his respect for the presumption of innocence and negatively assessed the judicialization of politics.