Asa Hutchinson, the Republican governor from Arkansas did not mince words after it was revealed that Trump had dinner with Kanye West, and Holocaust denier neo-nazi Nick Fuentes at Mar-A-Lago.
Kanye, or Ye as he is now known, has been enmeshed in an anti-Semitic controversy and should not have been invited to dinner with any former or sitting president.
CNN’s Dana Bash asked the governor to respond after knowing Hutchinson’s history of prosecuting white supremacists.
“Well, I hope, someday, we won’t have to be responding to what former President Trump has said or done,” Hutchinson said. “In this instance, it’s important to respond.”
“And, as you mentioned, the last time I met with a white supremacist, it was in an armed standoff. I had a bulletproof vest on. We arrested them, prosecuted them, sent them to prison. And so, no, I don’t think it’s a good idea for a leader that is setting an example for the country or the party to meet with an avowed racist or anti-Semite,” he said.
“And so it’s very troubling, and it shouldn’t happen. And we need to avoid those kinds of empowering the extremes. And when you meet with people, you empower. And that’s what you have to avoid. You want to diminish their strength, not empower them. Stay away from them.”
Trump has blasted out at least four insane excuses for having Fuentes over for dinner.
Hutchinson responded to Trump’s many attempts to claim ignorance of his hateful dinner guest.
“This was not an accidental meeting. It was a setup dinner with Kanye. And so this happened,”
he said.
Of course Trump knew who Fuentes is. MAGA is made up of a coalition of Christian nationalists, white supremacists, and anti-Semites.
At this point it appears Trump would use anybody, including bringing back former Rep. Mark Foley and Speaker Dennis Hastert (who pleaded guilty to making illegal hush-money payments in order to cover up his history of sexually abusing high school wrestlers he had coached decades before) to help him win some votes.
Roy Moore isn’t far behind.
The voice of outrage is the predominant Republican campaign tool, but it’s been eerily silent since Trump was caught openly courting anti-Semites, white supremacists, and Holocaust deniers.
