President Donald Trump (R) announced that he would not be attending the upcoming Republican primary debate, which drew the ire from some Republican candidates. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R), Texas Rep. Will Hurd (R), and Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson (R) have all been vocal critics of the 45thpresident. After qualifying to take the debate stage, Governor Hutchinson warned that he will “prosecute” Trump in the debate.
Instead of attending the debate, President Trump has announced that he will be taking part in an interview with Tucker Carlson. This has drawn support from Republicans, but it has also drawn criticism from others.
Governor Christie, the former Trump supporter, now argues that it’s “disrespectful” for Trump to not take the debate stage.
During an interview with Meet the Press, Christie commented that “Republican voters deserve the respect to show up and to argue the issues with the other candidates who have qualified,” adding that “not showing up is completely disrespectful.”
Echoing in his remarks is Governor Hutchinson, who has taken it a step further by vowing to “prosecute” Trump on the debate stage.
Hutchinson commented that he’s “not going to defend Donald Trump – I will be a prosecutor. I will be telling the truth on Donald Trump, whether he’s there or not.”
Although Trump is facing over 91 charges, support for his candidacy continues to rise in the polls, but candidates like Hutchinson view Trump as “dangerous for our country.”
Hutchinson has called on the Republican party to condemn Trump because of “what’s at stake for both our party and our country.”
According to Hutchinson, Trump is “self-centered. At this point, he’s looking out for himself,” adding that “he’s already set his agenda for a second term, which is to get even. It is about revenge. And this is not what we need in America.”
