Asa Hutchinson drops out of race for Republican presidential nomination

Asa Hutchinson, pictured here in Kissimmee, Florida, on 4 November 2023, was a long shot from the start. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Anadolu/Getty Images

The former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson, a stalwart conservative willing to sharply criticize Donald Trump, has suspended his beleaguered bid for the White House the day after the Iowa caucuses.

“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 in a statement. “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.”