It's been worth wondering for some time why it is that former Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R-AR) is running for president, and his latest campaign tactics don't exactly provide any clearer answers as he continues to attack the front runner, former and potentially future President Donald Trump. Hutchinson has not only gone after Trump for the "serious and disqualifying" charges brought against him, but also for how Republicans express concerns with the Department of Justice's (DOJ) involvement in the matter. Trump was arrainged last Tuesday in Miami for his handling of classified documents.
When asked by host Jonathan Karl on ABC News' "This Week," if Trump should drop out, Hutchinson didn't merely respond by answering "yes, I think that he should drop out," something he acknowledged that "clearly, he’s not going to." Hutchinson also defended the severity of the charges by attacking the narrative that the DOJ's involvement has led to the "weaponization" of government.
He also criticized "the whole concept of the--that so many Republican leaders adopting that this is a weaponization of the Justice Department," including how Trump has indicated he's going to appoint a special prosecutor to go after the Biden family," which he says is "called a weaponization of the Justice Department."
In these remarks, Hutchinson failed to mention the copious and concerning amount of evidence alleging corruption from the Biden family, not just with Hunter Biden, but Biden himself as vice president. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) has also pointed to how nine members of the Biden family may have been involved with corruption.
Hutchinson continued with a message for his fellow Republicans. "And so, let’s back off of these accusations and let’s get back to being the party of the rule of law, of the justice system supporting law enforcement and equal application of the law. Let’s don’t undermine the greatest justice system and criminal justice system and rule of law in the world today this side of heaven."
As Leah highlighted earlier on Monday, Hutchinson also said that the DOJ has a "very good case," and pardoning Trump would be "a misuse of the pardon power and should have no place in a campaign or a serious discussion of the office of president."
Asa Hutchinson calls on his fellow Republicans to “back off” allegations that the DOJ has been "weaponized."
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) June 18, 2023
“Let’s get back to being the party of the rule of law, of the justice system supporting law enforcement and the equal application of the law.” https://t.co/re0py9LGb0 pic.twitter.com/gf921PLUWv
Hutchinson may try to talk a big talk, but the concern about the "weaponization" of government is a very real one under President Joe Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland. In addition to the findings Comer has produced, there's an entire select subcommittee dedicated to weaponization, which falls under Chairman Jim Jordan's (R-OH) House Judiciary Committee.
Further, his messages is not in line with what the polls find. As Spencer highlighted earlier on Monday, a Harvard CAPS/Harris poll conducted last week, just after the arraignment. Fifty-five percent believe the Trump indictment is "politically motivated," and 56 percent believe the indictment is "interference by the Department of Justice in the 2024 elections."
Harvard Harris Poll:
— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) June 16, 2023
— 55% of Americans say Trump's indictment is politically motivated, (including 83% of Republicans and 55% of Independents)
— 56% consider Trump's federal indictment to be an interference by the Justice Department in the 2024 Elections pic.twitter.com/9UtnV0UtD2
Law Professor Jonathan Turley has also spoken to the distrust in the DOJ and Garland with his Monday blog post, "The Utter Failure of Merrick Garland."
"Merrick Garland began his tenure as attorney general with the stated intention of restoring faith in the Justice Department and the rule of law. By that standard, Garland has been a failure," Turley began his post with. "In fact, if anything, the crisis of faith surrounding his department has only deepened on his watch, and he bears some of the blame."
...During the term of his predecessor, Bill Barr, 50 percent of the public viewed the department favorably, and 70 percent had a favorable view of the FBI. The public trust of the department appears to have declined under Garland.
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) June 19, 2023
Turley highlighted other findings from the poll, as well as declining trust since previous administrations:
Polls show that half the country distrusts the FBI. A recent poll by Harvard CAPS-Harris found that 70 percent are either very or somewhat concerned about election interference by the FBI and other intelligence agencies. An additional 71 percent agreed that changes post-2016 had not done enough to prevent further interference and that “wide-ranging” reform was still required. Another poll showed 64 percent view the FBI as “politically compromised.”
During the term of his predecessor, Bill Barr, 50 percent of the public viewed the department favorably, and 70 percent had a favorable view of the FBI. The public trust of the department appears to have declined under Garland. At the very least, it has not dramatically improved.
The Harvard CAPS/Harris poll is not an outlier. An ABC News/Ipsos poll released earlier this month found that a plurality of Americans, at 47 percent, believe the indictment to be "politically motivated."
Trump continues to lead the Republican primary, by a spread of +32.7, according to RealClearPolitics (RCP). That Harvard CAPS/Harris poll shows Trump with a particularly large amount of support in the Republican primary, at 59 percent. The Marist poll cited during this episode of "This Week" also found that while 56 percent of adults believe that Trump should drop out, 83 percent of Republican respondents think he should stay in the race.
Other findings from the poll also highlight Republican support for Trump, which is emphasized by the director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion:
Nearly two in three Republicans and Republican-leaning independents (64%) report they will continue to support Trump’s presidential bid if he remains in the campaign. 32% plan to support another Republican candidate.
In fact, more than three in four Republicans and Republican-leaning independents (76%) have a favorable opinion of Trump, up from 68% in February.
"As former President Trump deals with his latest legal woes, Republicans are mostly standing with him, while Democrats are calling for him to exit the 2024 campaign," says Lee M. Miringoff, Director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion. "Time will tell if this pattern holds, but for now, Republicans are grounded on where they stand on Trump regardless of these unfolding events."
Hutchinson does not appear to have a winning message on this, or really any other issue, when it comes to his standing in the primary. RCP also shows Hutchinson with 0.6 percent support, which could disqualify him from the RNC debates if it doesn't improve. The criteria require candidates having 1 percent support as part of their criteria for making the stage, in three national polls or in two national polls and in one early state poll from two separate "carve out" states.