White House Chief of Staff Called Asa Hutchinson to Apologize for Snarky DNC Statement About Campaign Suspension
AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File
President Joe Biden’s White House chief of staff Jeff Zients called former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson to apologize for a statement from the Democratic National Committee mocking his 2024 campaign.
After coming in last place in the Iowa caucuses on Monday, Hutchinson suspended his Republican presidential campaign. Despite being one of the first to announce his candidacy, Hutchinson, a critic of former President Donald Trump, struggled to gain support and consistently polled in the single digits.
Following his departure from the race, the DNC issued a statement mocking his candidacy by stating they believed he already dropped out long ago.
“This news comes as a shock to those of us who could’ve sworn he had already dropped out,” said DNC spokesperson Sarafina Chitika in the statement.
Asked about this today, @PressSec says Biden has deep respect for Hutchinson adds: “Jeff Zients called the governor to apologize on behalf of the president.” https://t.co/xeGIgf5RUe
— Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) January 17, 2024
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed her press briefing on Wednesday afternoon that Hutchinson received an apology and that Biden respects the former governor as a “man of principles.”
“President Biden has deep respect for Governor Hutchinson and admires the race he ran,” Jean-Pierre told reporters. Zients reiterated Biden’s respect for Hutchinson during their call on Wednesday.
Before leaving office in 2023, Hutchinson worked closely with the White House during the coronavirus pandemic response regarding vaccinations despite criticism from fellow Republicans.
