Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) said Thursday that Americans will gain “confidence” with the recent verdict in former President Trump’s New York hush money case over time.
“I think, as time goes on, America will have more and more confidence in the jury result,” the former 2024 GOP presidential primary candidate said in an interview with CNN’s John Berman on “CNN News Central.”
Trump last week became the first former U.S. president to have the status of being a convicted felon, following a jury finding him guilty on all counts of falsifying business records to hide alleged affairs amid his 2016 campaign.
“We have confidence that 12 of our citizens are gonna make a fair and just verdict, and I hope that in the end, there’s … more confidence versus less confidence in our justice system,” said Hutchinson, also a former federal prosecutor.
Shortly after the verdict in Trump’s hush money case was read last week, the former president railed against the trial.
“This was a rigged, disgraceful trial. The real verdict is going to be Nov. 5 by the people, and they know what happened here, and everybody knows what happened here,” Trump said.
Many prominent Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (La.) and Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), have criticized the verdict.
“I think it’s terrible. I think what this shows today, is that they can go after a former president with a ridiculous charge like this and gain a conviction, they can go after anybody,” Rubio said on Fox News’s “Hannity” last week.
“And most people can’t afford to fight this stuff off.”
In his own statement released quickly after the verdict dropped, Johnson said it was “a shameful day in American history.”
“The American people rightfully see this is lawfare, and they know it is — and dangerous,” he added. “President Trump will rightfully appeal this absurd verdict — and he WILL WIN.”