After the Democratic National Committee issued a snide statement to announce the Republican’s withdrawal from the presidential race, White House chief of staff Jeff Zients contacted former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson on Wednesday morning to express his regret.
This week, Hutchinson withdrew from the race following her sixth-place finish in the Iowa caucuses. Her campaign was aimed at challenging and criticising Donald Trump.
Following Hutchinson’s announcement of his departure on Tuesday, DNC spokesman Sarafina Chitika stated, “This news comes as a shock to those of us who could have sworn he had already dropped out.”
Karine Jean-Pierre, a spokeswoman for the White House, addressed the incident during Wednesday’s press briefing by saying that President Joe Biden “admires the race he ran” and has “deep respect” for the governor.
“He has a strong record of public service, cares about our country, and is a man of principle,” Jean-Pierre remarked, adding that the president knows this. “Before making the statement that did not reflect the president’s views, this morning, chief of staff Jeff Zients contacted the governor to convey this and offer an apology.”
While Hutchinson and other Republicans opposed to Trump have failed to gain traction in a Republican Party that is still heavily controlled by the former president, Trump won Iowa by a wide margin earlier this week.
