Asa Hutchinson, the former governor of Arkansas, said that Ron DeSantis’s use of a “heavy hand of government” against Disney is not what a conservative is about.
Asa Hutchinson, a 2024 GOP presidential candidate from Arkansas, went after former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Sunday.
During an interview with Shannon Bream, who runs Fox News Sunday, Hutchinson slammed DeSantis for the way he dealt with Disney.
“I think it’s important that we don’t use government power too much to punish those who are making money, providing jobs for Americans, and growing the private sector. Not what the Republican Party is about. Hutchinson said, “That’s not what a conservative is about.”
At an event in National Harbor, Maryland, on Friday, DeSantis defended his approach to Disney. He is thought to be running for president in 2024, but he hasn’t officially said so.
“In fact, Disney had benefits and funding that had never been seen before. In the middle of Florida, they ran their own country. “They didn’t have to follow laws that almost everyone else has to,” DeSantis said. “That’s not free enterprise, and it’s even worse when a company takes all the privileges it’s been given over a long period of time and uses them to fight against state policies about families and children.”
In reaction, Hutchinson said, “I don’t think the government should tell businesses what they can and can’t say, no matter where you stand on the political spectrum. And no matter how you put it, it seems to me that the governor didn’t like what Disney was doing in terms of what they were saying, so they’re being punished.
The former governor of Arkansas, who is scoring at less than 1%, said that he agreed with Trump that DeSantis is “getting it wrong on Disney,” but he also said that “Disney is getting it wrong on themselves.” “I don’t like how Disney has handled things, but you can’t punish a business with the heavy hand of the government,” Hutchinson said. “I think that’s wrong, and I think it shows that you want to go after businesses because you don’t agree with what they do or say. What the left does. I don’t want Republicans or people on the right to do that, either.”
When asked if he would back Trump if the former president got the Republican nomination in 2024, Hutchinson said he had talked with the Republican National Committee about the matter.
“I hope to be on the stage for the discussion. Hutchinson said, “I don’t like loyalty oaths to a party, but it’s important to have competition.” “I want to take part in the debate, so I’ll find out what that promise is. I expect to be on the debate stage, though.”
“The last thing America wants is a repeat of 2020, when Joe Biden and Donald Trump ran against each other. This is shown in the polls, at least for Democrats,” Hutchinson said. “So we don’t want to keep saying that there are other options.”