SIMI VALLEY, Calif.—Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson was a young lawyer when the-President Ronald Reagan nominated him to serve as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Arkansas in 1996.
As he wraps up his second term as the governor of that state, the self-described commonsense conservative shared memories of the former president and called for the return of traditional Republican values during a half-hour lecture at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on Nov. 30.
“I was honored to work with President Reagan as a young United States Attorney fighting domestic terrorism and violent crime,” Hutchinson said. “I learned a lot from President Reagan. And there are many lessons that apply to today’s world.”
Reagan took office as the nation faced record-high inflation, high-interest rates, gasoline shortages, and disrespect abroad for U.S. leadership, much like what the nation faces today, Hutchinson added.
The affable lifelong politician, who was barred by term limits from seeking reelection this year, also shared his take on recent election outcomes.
“The last election was a time for choosing,” he said. “It was a time for taking a stand. And when a nation feels divided, candidates must speak with clarity and work to unite rather than divide Americans.”
The midterm election results weren’t a rejection of Republican ideas, he said, noting that voters denied some candidates because they did not “embrace Republican principles,”
Many Republican analysts predicted a “red wave” midterm result that would usher in majorities in the U.S. House and Senate. While Republicans did win enough seats to gain the majority in the House, the Democrats maintained control of the Senate, capturing 50 seats so far.
During his career, Hutchinson prosecuted neo-Nazis and white supremacist groups, mediating an armed standoff during one incident.
Like many conservatives, he was also concerned about culture changes, he said.
The “culture war” is not new, Hutchinson added. He was part of the “Moral Majority” in the 1980s that helped elect Reagan. At the time, they were fighting a liberal agenda from the courts and academic institutions.
The way Republicans can affect the culture is through individual actions, such as engaging in the community, parents becoming involved in education, and through the church, he said.
“Too many on the right and the left are silencing opposition and even worse, using and abusing government authority to do it,” he said. “If you think a business is too woke, then don’t buy their stuff. A conservative should not mimic the political left by using the power of the state to punish a business if a business is operating lawfully.”
Internationally, the United States’ leadership abroad has diminished, he said, especially after the botched 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan and several international threats that undermine trust with allies.
In Ukraine, the United States should continue to support the people’s right to decide their own future, he said.
The crisis on the southern border also challenges the nation’s “welcoming spirit,” he said. The way to fix it would be to coordinate between states and federal enforcement authorities and break the cartels’ control of the border, while also expediting the removal of those not legally allowed to stay, he said.
“President Reagan’s response to these challenges [was] to follow our conservative principles,” he said. “I still believe that principles are at the heart of the Republican party, and that common sense and compassion win the hearts and minds of voters.”
The country needs leaders to draw people together, not alienate them when they disagree, he added.
“Our best days are ahead and America will continue to lead the free world because we must. There is no one else,” he said.
Hutchinson’s political career led to three terms as a congressman and an appointment by President George W. Bush as the director of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Hutchinson then served as the first undersecretary at the newly created Department of Homeland Security.
He was Arkansas’ first Republican governor to work with a Republican-controlled Legislature in 40 years. He was elected governor in 2014 and was reelected in a landslide in 2018.
He and his wife Susan have been married 49 years and have four children and seven grandchildren.
