Current:Home > NewsFormer Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson says GOP talk of potential Trump pardon is "inappropriate"-LoTradeCoin
Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson says GOP talk of potential Trump pardon is "inappropriate"
View Date:2024-12-23 20:06:48
Washington — Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who is running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, said it's "inappropriate" for his GOP rivals to talk about pardoning former President Donald Trump if he is convicted in federal court.
The Justice Department unveiled new charges against Trump last week in a superseding indictment related to his alleged mishandling of classified documents after he left the White House and his alleged attempts to obstruct the investigation. Trump pleaded not guilty when he was initially charged.
Hutchinson told "Face the Nation" on Sunday that Trump should not be pardoned for the good of the country.
"That should not be any discussion during a presidential campaign. You don't put pardons out there to garner votes," he said. "...Anybody who promises pardons during a presidential campaign is not serving our system of justice well, and it's inappropriate."
- Transcript: Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on "Face the Nation"
Before Trump was arraigned in the documents case, biotech executive Vivek Ramaswamy vowed to pardon the former president if he's convicted as soon as he's sworn in.
Nikki Haley, who served as ambassador to the U.N. in the Trump administration, has previously said she would be "inclined" to pardon Trump. She suggested to "Face the Nation" on Sunday that a pardon would be "in the best interest of the country."
"I don't want there to be all of this division over the fact that we have a president serving years in jail over a documents trial," she said.
Hutchinson said people who are angry about the Trump indictment and are attacking the U.S. justice system in response are "putting his personal good above the public good and above the common good."
"They see differences as to how cases are handled," Hutchinson said. "But that is not a defense in a case that's been brought against Donald Trump."
Hutchinson, who is 72, also criticized Haley's calls for mental competency tests for politicians over the age of 75.
"As a practical matter, you want a president to be in good health and … in a good mental state, but the tests are not constitutional," he said. "It really is something that's a throwaway line that catches people's attention."
Hutchinson said he trusted voters "to make the right decisions."
"There's a mental acuity test every time you go to Iowa and there's a town hall meeting with the questions from the voters, they do a pretty good job of assessing those issues," he said.
- In:
- Asa Hutchinson
- Donald Trump
- Nikki Haley
Caitlin Yilek is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital. Reach her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/hausofcait
TwitterveryGood! (588)
Related
- Get well, Pop. The Spurs are in great hands until your return
- Why higher winter temperatures are affecting the logging industry
- Find 15 Gifts for the Reader in Your Life in This Book Lover Starter Pack
- Warming Trends: Outdoor Heaters, More Drownings In Warmer Winters and Where to Put Leftover Turkey
- In bizarro world, Tennessee plays better defense, and Georgia's Kirby Smart comes unglued
- Travelers can save money on flights by skiplagging, but there are risks. Here's what to know.
- Ginny & Georgia's Brianne Howey Gives Birth, Welcomes First Baby With Husband Matt Ziering
- The U.S. economy ended 2022 on a high note. This year is looking different
- 'Wheel of Fortune' contestant makes viral mistake: 'Treat yourself a round of sausage'
- Former Top Chef winner Kristen Kish to replace Padma Lakshmi as host
Ranking
- Report: Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence could miss rest of season with shoulder injury
- Mung bean omelet, anyone? Sky high egg prices crack open market for alternatives
- Covid-19 Shutdowns Were Just a Blip in the Upward Trajectory of Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- Exxon announced record earnings. It's bound to renew scrutiny of Big Oil
- Bluesky has added 1 million users since the US election as people seek alternatives to X
- A tiny invasive flying beetle that's killed hundreds of millions of trees lands in Colorado
- Rihanna Has Love on the Brain After A$AP Rocky Shares New Photos of Their Baby Boy RZA
- 6-year-old Miami girl fights off would-be kidnapper: I bit him
Recommendation
-
Powerball winning numbers for Nov. 13 drawing: Jackpot rises to $113 million
-
Warming Trends: Music For Sinking Cities, Pollinators Need Room to Spawn and Equal Footing for ‘Rough Fish’
-
These Are the Black Beauty Founders Transforming the Industry
-
Migrant crossings along U.S.-Mexico border plummeted in June amid stricter asylum rules
-
Shaun White Reveals How He and Fiancée Nina Dobrev Overcome Struggles in Their Relationship
-
U.S. files second antitrust suit against Google's ad empire, seeks to break it up
-
Why higher winter temperatures are affecting the logging industry
-
The great turnaround in shipping