Washington [US], January 18: US President Joe Biden instructed a top aide to call former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson to apologize for criticism from Democrats after Mr. Hutchinson withdrew from the race for the White House.
Mr. Hutchinson on January 16 withdrew from the race to win the Republican nomination for the 2024 US presidential election. At that time, Ms. Sarafina Chitika, national press secretary of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) , issued a mocking statement.
" This news is a shock to us, who thought he had given up," Ms. Chitika said about Mr. Hutchinson, who won 191 votes, equivalent to 0.02% of the vote. in the Republican Party's "caucus" primary election in Iowa on January 16.
In addition to being a former governor, Mr. Hutchinson also served as a member of the House of Representatives and held two senior positions in the administration of former President George W. Bush.
On January 17, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre revealed to reporters that President Biden directed White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients to call Mr. Hutchinson to apologize for the statement from the DNC and emphasize the These words do not represent the leader's views.
"President Biden respects Governor Hutchinson and admires his participation in the race. The President knows he is a man of principle, who cares about our country and has a strong record of public service." them," Ms. Jean-Pierre said.
On CNN, Mr. Hutchinson said he appreciated the call from Mr. Zients and his apology for the "parody" statements.
"To me, that reflects the good side of American politics You fight hard but at the end of the day you want to make sure that you treat each other with respect. So I appreciate the call there," he said.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper