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Why Did the DNC Have to Go Make Us Feel Bad for Asa Hutchinson?

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  January 19, 2024 7:30 AM

Earlier this week, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson finally suspended his campaign for president after earning just 0.2 percent of the vote in the Iowa Republican Caucus. He was an unlikely candidate from the start, who never really polled above 1 percent, though that was enough for him to make the first RNC debate last August in Miami. What relevance he had was being virulently anti-Trump in an age where that doesn't fly in the GOP. Nevertheless, his statement from Tuesday was classy; ironically the best part of his campaign was the end of it. And then the DNC had to go ahead and issue a statement ruining it, as Karen Townsend at our sister site of Hot Air covered. 

"I congratulate Donald J. Trump for his win last night in Iowa and to the other candidates who competed and garnered delegate support. Today, I am suspending my campaign for President and driving back to Arkansas. Today, I am suspending my campaign for President and driving back to Arkansas," his statement mentioned. "My message of being a principled Republican with experience and telling the truth about the current front runner did not sell in Iowa," the statement continued, which is putting it politely. 

Nevertheless he noted "I stand by the campaign I ran. I answered every question, sounded the warning to the GOP about the risks in 2024 and presented hope for our country's future. Susan and I are blessed beyond measure, and we are grateful for the opportunity to have fought in the political arena for America." 

Then came the DNC's statement, from National Press Secretary Sarafina Chitika. "This news comes as a shock to those of us who could’ve sworn he had already dropped out," she quipped.

The statement was panned and President Joe Biden's White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients, even called up Hutchinson to apologize, as NBC News covered. The outlet added that Chitika was not responding to a request for comment. 

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NBC also covered Hutchinson's response:

In an interview, Hutchinson said he appreciated the call from Zients. But he questioned the culture and training at the DNC if staff members thought a statement mocking the failure of someone trying to lead the GOP in a different direction was somehow appropriate.

“I don’t know who it was” who wrote the statement, Hutchinson said. “Everyone refers to the person as a young staffer. That means we are training our future leaders to practice demeaning comments — ridicule — and to really focus on things that are not important.

“So here’s the point,” he added. “Let’s mentor that young staffer. Who is training them to do this? That’s [happening on] both sides of the aisle. That’s not what America expects. It hurts politics. And I hope there will be a lot of re-training based on this.”

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also addressed the matter during Wednesday's press briefing when a reporter pointed out that the statement "seems rather gratuitous, you know, not to mention not serious," adding "I just wonder if the tone of that statement reflects how President Biden views the governor and views his now-suspended campaign?"

Jean-Pierre noted "President Biden has deep respect for Governor Hutchinson and admires the race that he ran. The president knows him to be a man of principle who cares about our country and has a strong record of public service," as she also mentioned the call from Zients.

While Jean-Pierre couldn't speak for the DNC, she did assure that the statement "did not represent [the president's] views, adding "we apologized to the governor," and that Biden "respects the governor’s public service, and we just wanted to make that very clear."

Hutchinson shouldn't get too excited when it comes to seeing more civility. "No one will be fired at the DNC for the snarky behavior and Chitika has not commented. The DNC is letting the White House clean up the mess. The statement is considered a mistake that can happen in a hot contest," Karen pointed out. 

She also highlighted how this is a pattern from Chitika:

Here’s the thing – the person who released the statement isn’t a young intern without experience who just made a mistake. The statement came from the DNC’s national press secretary. Sarafina Chitika is a former communications director for Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). And, there is a history of such behavior from her. She did the same thing to North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum when he suspended his campaign. “Today, millions of Americans are reacting to Doug Burgum’s drop out with a resounding, ‘Who is that?’”

Maybe Chitika doesn’t respect Republicans governors, past or present. That’s not the point. The point is that the DNC didn’t have to respond at all about two Republican candidates who were never going to be the party’s nominee when they suspended their campaigns. Let it go. If a top candidate suspends his or her campaign, let the DNC mouth off with a hot take. That’s politics.

How many times have Democrats, including and especially the Biden administration demonized political opponents in much harsher terms? Biden's not just going after Trump, but also MAGA Republicans, just as he did leading up to the 2022 midterm elections. Jean-Pierre's done it too. She was found to be in violation of the Hatch Act last June for her comments at the podium in November of the year before, also just before the election, about "mega MAGA Republican officials."

Hutchinson also responded with a comment for CBS News, noting he was "gratified that so many from both parties have rebuffed this type of ridicule as unnecessary and demeaning to all in the public arena." He did add that "[b]oth parties need to rise above pettiness and focus on things that matter to Americans."

He also shared an article from POLITICO with some further thoughts. "The call from the White House was not necessary but still appreciated. We can disagree without demonizing. The bipartisan push back will hopefully lead to more focus on issues that are important to Americans," Hutchinson noted.