in Palm Beach, Florida. Arkansas Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson
joins us for that early in his career. He served as U. S attorney
for the Western District of Arkansas under President Reagan.
Governor Hutchinson. Thank you very much for joining us. You have
said that the this FBI search of former President Trump's Mar a Lago
estate is alarming. Why
Well, because it's never happened before. And whenever you have such
a high public official, we know that the approval was given at a
high level in the Department of Justice, because that's the standard
of practice and just by the fact that it does require that high level
of approval means it's a very serious thing. And the fact that you
have this, uh
Search warrant that's executed and I say that it's alarming, in the
sense that we need to know the public needs to know the institutions
in the United States needs to understand why this happened and we
don't have the affidavit for the search warrant has been released.
It should be released. If it has to be redacted. It should be redacted.
But the public has an interest in knowing what is happening here
and the fact that former President Trump criticized the operation
and made uh uh
Made noise about It indicates that there needs to be some kind of
response. And that is important at this point, But it's our understanding
that its Department of Justice policy not to make these documents
around a search like this public. So what you're calling for would
be a violation of that policy. Or is that what you're asking for?
No. In fact, I mean, it's been a while since I was a federal prosecutor,
But I was a United States attorney. I understand the guidelines that
they have. And whenever you put something under seal, and a search
warrant should be under seal and it is but that seal they can ask
that that search warrant to be released. The affidavit be released
because it's already public information.
The idea of having that sealed is to protect the homeowner
or whoever might be impacted by the creation of that information.
Well here it's already out in public. And so while that is a standard
practice, there are the exceptions. When it's already public information.
They can ask that that be unsealed, and I think that is important
to be done.
In short of that they need to make a cop comment. The Department
of Justice needs to understand the public's interest in this and
legitimate interest. There's two institutions at stake here, the
presidency of the United States, But the other institution is the
Department of Justice served in the Department of Justice. I care
about it. I value it and it is critical to our democracy that it
has credibility and it has broad support and that they operate.
Under our rule of law, and they need to explain what is happening
here and there is some urgency. I think both Democrats and Republicans
expect some comment.
From the Department of Justice, explaining exactly what is happening.
The House Minority leader Kevin McCarthy, is already said What the
Justice Department has done is weaponizing. He used the term they
weaponized the justice system. Are you prepared to go that far?
Well, No, because I don't know the facts, and I think that would
be totally unfair. Ah, you know, I think they've had instances in
the past where it appears that the Justice Department got political,
but I don't think we ought to jump to that conclusion. I don't think
we ought to jump to a different conclusion. Let's get the facts out
there.
And let's hear from the Justice Department is exactly what happened.
And what interest is at stake. What has been in the broad application
of the rule of law? Sorry to interrupt Governor what has been reported,
as you know is that the it is that there were agents who showed up
at Mara Lago this spring and how to discussion with the former president
about papers that the National Archives say should have been given
to them turned over to them rather than take into the president's.
Own home if it turns out that the former president took documents
that should have been turned over to the government.
What should be done about it Well, we should make the efforts to
retrieve those. Perhaps that is what this is about, But generally
it's not done through a search warrant. There's other ways to retrieve
documents through legal processes, and I think what's important here,
too, is that the public is not going to get too excited if these
documents are routine documents and White House of the president
Took out in violation of the Presidential documents Act. You know
what we'd be concerned about is if these are classified documents.
If there's
documents that would really be offensive to our national security,
this is a serious matter to do. A search of a former presidents,
residents.
And it has to be justified with equally serious conduct that is at
risk that required this action and that's the vacuum that we do not
have right now. Governor. We are seeing today that a number of the
people who are close to the former president are saying they think
that this move by the Justice Department is going to expedite his
decision to run for president again. Do you think he should run again?
No, I don't think he should. But I also am a political realist that
this is the kind of action by the Department of Justice that without
explanation is going to give fuel to those that just say he's being
persecuted. He's being picked on and they're going to come to his
defense and it very well could motivate him to do that. Fairness
is what we have to have the justice system.
I want the Department of Justice to explain what is happening here.
Give the American public hopefully a sense that this is being conducted
to support the rule of law unfairly. And just finally, governor you
did say yourself in May that you are mulling the idea of running
for president yourself. That was in May. This is August.
Are you any closer to a decision?
Now that is going to be in the thinking about stage until probably
next January. We got to get through this election and we'll we'll
wait and see how that develops. But whenever I say I don't think
President Trump should run again. Obviously, people who are concerned
about the country have to give it thought as I am Governor Asa Hutchinson
of Arkansas. Thank you very much.