Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson drove through Iowa in a blizzard on Friday to drum up support for his campaign in the final days before the caucuses, but had to improvise and call supporters individually.
Hutchinson failed to gain traction in the polls despite having much success as a former House member, governor and Bush administration official. When a severe storm brought snow and howling winds, he kept as much of his schedule as possible and scrapped the rest.
“Oh yeah, we have a four-wheeler, good,” he told on the road as he made his way from Cedar Rapids to Des Moines. “They’re slippery, but we’ll do it,” he said of the state highways.
He gave a television interview on Friday and then planned an event with supporters.
“But the restaurant we had it at was closed for the evening. So we had to give that up. “So I was out … calling caucus-goers,” he said. “So it was very useful.” So I just called the people who couldn't go to the event in Iowa City. And call other supporters across the state and identify the caucus participants.”
On the road: Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson drove to events across Iowa even as the state was hit by a snowstorm. He addressed supporters by telephone
“Nothing beats being there in person, answering more questions and having more interaction.” “But you adjust to the weather and adapt,” he said.
Hutchinson has a RealClearPolitics average of under 1 percent, despite having a background that could be attractive to Iowans. He grew up on a farm and served as governor of another rural state.
He recently received the endorsement of the Storm Lake Times newspaper and shared it online. It said he “knows cotton from corn” and checks all the GOP boxes except one: “Loyalty to a treasonous Trump.”
“I'm the only candidate campaigning in Iowa who hasn't promised a pardon for Donald Trump.” “That's amazing,” said Hutchinson, who once served as the House impeachment manager during Bill Clinton's Senate trial.
“For anyone to promise pardons during a political campaign to get votes is wrong,” he said.
Buckle up! He shared a shot of the road conditions he faced while driving across the state
Shelter from the storm: Former President Donald Trump plans to return to Iowa on Saturday after canceling a Saturday night rally. Hutchinson emphasizes his role as the only rival who has not committed to pardoning Trump
Ron DeSantis held one campaign rally and then improvised another, but canceled subsequent scheduled appearances
Hutchinson did not meet the requirements to get on the debate stage Wednesday, nor did he qualify for an upcoming debate in New Hampshire
“I will not make such commitments during the election campaign,” he said.
“If Trump is our candidate, there will be an albatross around our necks,” he predicted. Polls before the election showed Trump at over 50 percent.
He criticized Trump for calling the Jan. 6 defendants “patriots” and condemned House leaders who echoed Trump in calling them “hostages.”
“This type of misleading rhetoric will be the death knell for the Republican Party if we don’t move on from it,” he said.
Asked about Chris Christie, who dramatically dropped out of the race on Wednesday, Hutchinson said of Christie: “He clearly didn't see a path to victory. 'I'm sure he was under pressure from his donors.' He said the two men had not spoken since Christie suspended his campaign in New Hampshire.
“I’m in a different situation,” he said. “I've decided to campaign in both places. And you know, I've been as clear about Donald Trump's risk as he or anyone else.” He also said his own campaign was about more, than just the persecution of Trump.
Christie, who was recently compared to Don Quixote in a New York Times article, has already bought a ticket to New Hampshire and says he will campaign there. He's running his campaign relatively close, raising just over $1 million by September and spending most of it.
Hutchinson posted a video of himself in his SUV on the way to Cedar Rapids, accompanied by a lone campaign worker named Ed, giving supporters a look at the snow accumulating outside. “You'll have a great day and stay safe,” he said in a post that received 123 likes and 15 retweets seven hours after it was posted.
He declined to blame Trump for staying in West Palm Beach while Iowa battled the storm. (Trump later suspended Saturday's events and announced “terral talks” with a plan to return to the state Saturday evening.)
“I'll let him make his own decisions on his campaign.” “I'm sure he'll have to prepare for a number of court appearances,” Hutchinson quipped.