Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson announces White House bid

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Sunday announced that he is running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, officially joining Former President Trump and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in the primary contest.

During an interview on ABC’s “This Week,” Hutchinson told host Jonathan Karl that he was going to run for the 2024 GOP nomination, saying he is “convinced that people want leaders that appeal to the best of America.”

“I am going to be running. And the reason, as I’ve traveled the country for six months, I hear people talk about the leadership of our country, and I’m convinced that people want leaders that appeal to the best of America, and not simply appeal to our worst instincts,” the former governor said. “I believe I can be that kind of leader for the people of America.”

Hutchinson said he will make a formal announcement later this month in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Hutchinson, who worked as a federal prosecutor, also reiterated calls for Trump to drop out of the race now that he has been indicted, saying that the office “is more important than any individual person.”

“For the sake of the office of the presidency, I do think that’s too much of a sideshow and distraction, and he needs to be able to concentrate on his due process, and there is a presumption of innocence.”

Hutchinson added that while he believes people don’t have to step aside from public office if they’re under investigation, however, he noted that “if it reaches the point of criminal charges that have to be answered, the office is always more important than a person.”

“I’m not supportive of Donald Trump. I want to provide an alternative, but I’m happy if the voters make that decision and choice,” Hutchinson said. “I don’t like the idea of the charges from what I’ve seen coming out of New York. But the process has got to work, and we’ve got to have respect for our criminal justice system, but also for the office of presidency.”

–Updated at 10:17 a.m.