Apr 11, 2021 - Politics & Policy

Hutchinson says GOP should go "back to our principles" after reports of Trump tirade

Fadel Allassan

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Sunday that the GOP should get "back to our principles," following reports that Former President Trump bashed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell as a “dumb son of a bitch” at a Republican National Committee retreat on Saturday.

Between the lines: Trump went after a slew of Republicans, including McConnell and his wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, for not backing him during his impeachment trial in February, per Politico.

He repeated false claims that the 2020 election was “rigged,” and criticized former Vice President Mike Pence for not stopping it's certification on Jan. 6.

What he's saying: "Let's stop the personality divisions that we have and focus on, really, the historic role that we've played, which is a voice for smaller government," Hutchinson told CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday.

"In some ways it's not a big deal what he says, but at the same time, when it draws attention, we don't need that. We need unity, we need to be focused together ... We got battles to fight so we need to get beyond that."

Go deeper: House GOP memo says embrace of Trump agenda is only option for comeback

Add Axios on Google

Hutchinson says GOP should go "back to our principles" after reports of Trump tirade

What to read next