Trump Has ‘Redefined’ the Republican Party But ‘Not in a Good Way,’ Republican Candidate Says
Former president would be weakest opponent against Biden in November, Hutchinson adds
On the eve of the first contest to determine the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, frontrunner Donald Trump has “redefined” the modern Republican party — but not in a good way.
That’s according to one of Trump’s rivals for the Republican nomination.
Republicans in Iowa will gather Monday evening for the Hawkeye State’s famous presidential caucuses.
These voters are expected to brave deep sub-zero temperatures to visit their local caucus site and select their preferred candidate via a simple secret-ballot vote.
Trump is leading a pack of five Republicans still vying for the presidency and is expected to cruise to victory in Iowa and, likely, the nomination itself.
“Well, first of all, you’re correct, he has redefined the Republican Party, and not in a good way,” said Asa Hutchinson, a one-time Arkansas governor and one of the more minor hopefuls looking to make a stand against the former president. “And whenever you look at what I’m trying to do is draw attention to the fact that Donald Trump is a weak candidate for us going into the general election.
“I think the CBS poll that you cited today reflects that,” Hutchinson said Sunday in an on-camera interview with CBS News. “The one person that ought to enjoy that poll is Joe Biden, with Trump having that kind of a lead in the primary.
“My responsibility, and other candidates, is to take on the front-runner if you don’t agree that he’s the right one. We’ve been doing that. And there might be a short-term price for that, but long-term, fear, fear-mongering and grievances only take you so far,” added Hutchinson, who also served in the administration of George W Bush. “And so, that is the sign of a weak candidate as you go further into this election year.
“So, the voice is critically important to alert people that we can’t mislead our voters and say January 6 was somehow a patriotic act. It was an attack on our Capitol, the rule of law and Congress, and we cannot buy into that misleading by Donald Trump,” Hutchinson said, referring to the attack on the US Capitol Building by violent supporters of Trump's who tried illegally to keep Trump in power beyond Democrat Joe Biden’s inauguration.
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