WASHINGTON — Donald Trump should quit the presidential race if he’s indicted, one of the former Republican president’s potential competitors says.
Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who is considering a GOP presidential bid, said an indictment would be a “distraction” and Trump should end his campaign to recapture the White House if he’s formally charged with a crime.
“It’s out of respect for the institution of the presidency of the United States. And, that’s a distraction that is difficult to run for the highest office in the land under those circumstances,” Hutchinson said in a sit-down interview with USA TODAY.
Hutchinson said Trump should not have run again and the myriad of investigations into him are all the more reason he should not pursue a second term.
“I know he’s going to say that they’re politically motivated and all of those things, but the fact is, there’s just a lot of turmoil out there with the number of investigations going on.”
Hutchinson’s comments came as prosecutors in Manhattan signaled that they are closer to deciding whether to indict Trump in a case involving a hush-money payment the former president’s legal fixer made to former porn star Stormy Daniels, who alleges she had an affair with Trump. Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, has agreed to testify in the case. Prosecutors also invited Trump to give testimony.
Trump is also under investigation for his pressure campaign on Georgia officials to overturn his 2020 electoral loss to Joe Biden. The Department of Justice has also launched probes into his conduct and conversations related to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and Trump’s handling of classified information after he left office.
Trump has denied wrongdoing in those cases and others. He told reporters earlier this month that he “won’t even think about leaving” the presidential race if he is indicted. “Probably, it’ll enhance my numbers,” Trump said.
But Hutchinson, a former federal prosecutor, said, “When you’re looking at Trump. It’s going to be a circus.”
“It doesn’t mean that he’s guilty of it or he should be charged, but it’s just such a distraction that would be unnecessary for somebody who’s seeking the highest office in the land,” Hutchinson said.
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Francesca Chambers is a White House Correspondent for USA TODAY. Follow her on Twitter @fran_chambers.