In light of the ongoing investigations surrounding former President Donald Trump, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate is urging him to withdraw from the campaign.

Former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson, who entered the race for the White House in late April, stated that Trump is the “target of an ongoing criminal investigation” and that he “should step aside and put the good of the country above his candidacy.”

In an interview with ABC News’ “This Week,” Hutchinson criticized Republican Party members for asserting that the Department of Justice has been weaponized against Trump.

“In terms of the overall charge of weaponization of the Justice Department, look at Donald Trump. He’s already declared that he- if he’s elected president, he’s gonna appoint a special prosecutor to go after the Biden family,” Hutchinson said. “That’s called a weaponization of the Justice Department.”

“And so let’s back off of these accusations, and let’s get back to being the party of the rule of law, of the justice system supporting law enforcement and the equal application of the law,” he added. “Let’s don’t undermine the greatest justice system and criminal justice system and rule of law in the world today, this side of heaven.”

Hutchinson continued by arguing that Trump should prioritize the “office of the presidency and our country” over himself.

“Whenever you’ve got these serious allegations against you, whenever you’ve got the challenge of multiple different investigations during the course of the next year, it’s not fair to the country and certainly it’s not fair to the party that wants to get this country back on track,” Hutchinson said.

WATCH:

Asa Hutchinson calls on his fellow Republicans to “back off” allegations that the DOJ has been "weaponized."

“Let’s get back to being the party of the rule of law, of the justice system supporting law enforcement and the equal application of the law.” https://t.co/re0py9LGb0 pic.twitter.com/gf921PLUWv

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) June 18, 2023

During an announcement in his birthplace of Bentonville, Arkansas, Hutchinson declared he would challenge Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination.

“Today, I am announcing that I am a candidate for president of the United States,” Hutchinson told supporters. “In this campaign for president, I stand alone in terms of my experience, my record, and leadership. From Congress to the DEA to Homeland Security, I have served our country in times of crisis. As governor of Arkansas, we cut taxes and created record surpluses. We increased pay for teachers. We reduced regulations; recruited industry and the private sector grew by over 100,000 jobs. My mettle has been tested.”

More on this story via Conservative Brief:

“In this campaign for president, I stand alone in terms of my experience, record, and leadership,” Hutchinson said. “From Congress to DEA to Homeland Security, I have served our country in times of crisis. As governor of Arkansas, we cut taxes and created record surpluses.” CONTINUE READING…