Former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday (Jan 16) announced that he is suspending his presidential primary campaign.
Hutchinson congratulated Donald Trump, who earned his victory in the Iowa caucuses – the first vote in the 2024 presidential race.
A statement released by him read: “I congratulate Donald J. Trump for his win last night in Iowa and to the other candidates who competed and garnered delegate support.”
“Today, I am suspending my campaign for President and driving back to Arkansas. My message of being a principled Republican with experience and telling the truth about the current front runner did not sell in Iowa,” he said.
Hutchinson was praised by some for his stance. He called on Trump to drop out “for the sake of the office of the presidency” and asked him not to seek another White House term. But was also booed occasionally for his sharp criticism of Trump.
“I stand by the campaign I ran. I answered every question, sounded the warning to the GOP about the risks in 2024 and presented hope for our country’s future,” he added.
“Susan and I are blessed beyond measure, and we are grateful for the opportunity to have fought in the political arena for America,” he further said.
Hutchinson had announced his bid shortly after Joe Biden launched his re-election campaign, claiming that both Biden and Trump were focused on the past rather than the future.
Watch: What would a Trump win in Iowa mean for Biden?
Iowa caucuses
Trump registered a stunning victory scoring 51 per cent of Republican voters. Ron DeSantis eked out a second-place finish in the Iowa caucuses. With most Iowa precincts reporting, CNN and Fox News said DeSantis won second place with 21.2 per cent of the vote, narrowly ahead of former UN ambassador Nikki Haley at 19.1 per cent.
Meanwhile, Republican entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy announced on Monday that he was pulling out and endorsing Trump.
“We are going to suspend this presidential campaign,” Ramaswamy told supporters after he was projected to finish a distant fourth in the Iowa caucuses,” he said.
“I called Donald Trump to tell him I congratulate him on his victory, and now going forward he will have my full endorsement for the president,” Ramaswamy added.
(With inputs from agencies)
