Internet hails Joe Biden's 'class' as White House apologizes to Asa Hutchinson after snarky DNC statement

WASHINGTON, DC: On Wednesday, January 17, the White House issued an apology to Asa Hutchinson, former Republican presidential candidate, for a disparaging news release that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) had sent out following his withdrawal from the GOP presidential race.

Jeff Zients, the White House Chief of Staff, reached out to Hutchinson to offer an apology for the one-sentence statement that the DNC released via Sarafina Chitika, who's the National Press Secretary under the Biden administration.

The statement was made after Hutchinson announced his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential campaign due to a poor showing in the Iowa caucuses held on Monday, this week.

In the statement, the DNC remarked, "This news comes as a shock to those of us who could've sworn he had already dropped out."

A Biden advisor stated that the DNC would not be losing any staff members due to the incident, attributing it to a mistake that occurred in a fast-moving and highly charged campaign season, according to a report from NBC News.

Hutchinson managed to secure only 0.2% of the vote in Iowa, finishing sixth, and coming behind rivals, Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Ryan Binkley.

He had run a nonconforming campaign during the Donald Trump era, openly criticizing the former president when other GOP presidential hopefuls were avoiding the legal problems and controversies surrounding Trump, who was leading the polls within the party.

How did the Biden administration right their wrong on Wednesday?

73-year-old Hutchinson ran as a conventionally established Republican, adhering to a particular level of civility on the campaign trail that Trump and his MAGA movement have long rejected.

Given Biden's pledge to unify and heal a divided nation, the DNC statement seemed to be uncalled for and slightly out of place.

Hutchinson, a political relic of sorts, embodied the kind of mainstream Republican that Joe Biden came to admire during his 36-year tenure in the Senate.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre addressed the incident following the release of the Iowa caucus results, at a news briefing on Wednesday, where she said the DNC statement about Hutchinson “does not reflect (Biden’s) views.”

Pierre said, “President Biden has deep respect for Gov Hutchinson and admires the race that he ran.”

“The president knows him to be a man of principle who cares about our country and has a strong record of public service,” she noted.

During an interview, the former Governor of Arkansas expressed his appreciation for the call he received from Zients.

However, he raised concerns regarding the culture and training at the DNC if staff members believed that it was appropriate to issue a statement mocking a person who was attempting to lead the GOP in a different direction.

“I don’t know who it was,” Hutchinson claimed, adding. “Everyone refers to the person as a young staffer. That means we are training our future leaders to practice demeaning comments — ridicule — and to really focus on things that are not important.”

Hutchinson continued, “So here’s the point. Let’s mentor that young staffer. Who is training them to do this? That’s (happening on) both sides of the aisle. That’s not what America expects. It hurts politics. And I hope there will be a lot of re-training based on this.”

While the call he received from Zients was cordial, Hutchinson did not consider it significant enough to alter his decision not to support Biden's re-election bid.

When asked about his stance in the event of Trump winning the nomination, Hutchinson indicated that he was awaiting the outcomes of Trump's four criminal cases before making any decision.

Hutchinson stated, “I’m not going to support anyone who is a convicted felon. I expect to support the Republican nominee — and I’m counting on that being someone different from Donald Trump.”

Internet reacts to White House apologizing to Asa Hutchinson for DNC remarks

People on X expressed their reactions to the news of White House officials cleaning up after the DNC's irresponsible barb at the 73-year-old Republican and his unimpressive presidential campaign went awry.

One X user remarked, "Good. Take the high road!"

Another user wrote: "First, Biden has class. He is gracious in victory and defeat, and he expects the same of others. Second, he comes from an era when personal relationships, even among opponents, mattered. They were the oil that kept the machinery working. We could use more of that."

Another user said: "Right thing to do. The DNC's remarks were...how I can I say...Rona-like."

One user stated: "Good. That comment from the DNC was unnecessary and not helpful. I disagree with Hutchinson on policy but he's not a trump fan or an election denier."

Another X user remarked: "That was the right move. Good to see happen."

Finally, this user tweeted, "Isn't it nice to have a President who feels the need to do this? If the RNC had made that statement, Trump would have publicly said "Good one, you guys!""

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.