Hutchinson says he will prosecute Trump on debate stage ‘whether he’s there or not’

GOP presidential candidate and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he plans to be “a prosecutor” of former President Trump at the upcoming Republican primary debate, even if Trump chooses not to show up.

“I’m not going to defend Donald Trump — I will be a prosecutor,” he said in an interview with MSNBC. “I will be telling the truth on Donald Trump, and whether he’s there or not, he will be a focal point of issue.”

His comments come after it was reported on Friday that Trump planned to miss the debate and instead sit for an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. Rumors of him skipping the debate have been circling for weeks.

Hutchinson argued that the debate will be the place for Republicans to present an alternative to the former president, the current GOP frontrunner in the primary race. He criticized his fellow candidates for their apparent deference to Trump.

“Some of the candidates will be defending Donald Trump,” he said. “I’ll certainly be on the side of telling the truth. But that’s a defining moment: who’s going to be promising pardons.”

“I don’t think that’s appropriate for a campaign. Others do,” Hutchinson added. “So this is a critical time for us.”

While the former governor has yet to qualify for the debate next week in Milwaukee, he voiced optimism that he would meet the criteria ahead of the Aug. 21 deadline.

“We’re gonna make the debate … we’re not there yet,” he told host Chris Hayes, adding “We’re getting close.”

The Republican National Committee in June said for 2024 candidates to qualify for the first debate, they must garner a minimum of 1 percent in at least three national polls, or at 1 percent in two national polls and one state poll from two of the early primary states.

They are also required to meet a fundraising requirement: having a minimum of 40,000 unique donors and at least 200 unique donors from 20 or more states and territories.

Hutchinson also said Friday that candidates should be “clear” on what happened on Jan. 6, 2021. He called the riot on the Capitol “an attack on our democracy” and argued that other candidates should not be scared of saying so.

“You can’t be intimidated by a teenager who asked you a question as to what happened on January 6,” he said.