Gov. Hutchinson meets with Trump on border security, picks up Presidential endorsement

Gov. Asa Hutchinson met with President Donald Trump and four other Republican governors on Monday (May 21) to discuss border security and walked out of the White House with an endorsement from the nation’s commander-in-chief in his primary re-election bid.

Hutchinson, a former Department of Homeland Security top official, recently agreed to Trump’s request to allow a small contingency of Arkansas National Guardsmen to be deployed to the U.S. southern border. Ten members of the Arkansas National Guard were assigned by Hutchinson to the mission.

“I appreciate President Trump for hosting a handful of governors this evening at the White House to discuss important issues facing our country, including border security, global trade, and the opioid crisis, to name a few,” said Hutchinson.

“Earlier this month, I deployed Arkansas National Guard military transport and personnel to help assist with the president’s enhanced border security efforts. Tonight, he took time to express his thanks to our guard members for their deployment and cooperation,” he added.

Trump met with Hutchinson and Govs. Doug Ducey (R-Arizona), Phil Bryant (R-Mississippi), Susana Martinez (R-New Mexico), and Henry McMaster (R-South Carolina). Other attendees at the White House meeting included Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and former Governor of Texas and current Secretary of Energy Rick Perry.

Hutchinson said he discussed global trade, agriculture, and the opioid crisis with the president.

“As for global trade, I explained the importance of agriculture to Arkansas’s economy and how key global trade is to our state’s bottom-line. Our conversation left me with even more confidence that global trade will not be diminished in this administration and that Arkansas will emerge a stronger partner globally as a result of the president’s negotiations.

“And finally, I thanked the president for his leadership in the fight against drugs—both at the border and the opioid crisis where he’s inspired greater prevention nationwide. It was a productive and substantive conversation, and I appreciate the president for his time and hospitality,” Hutchinson said.

After the meeting, President Trump offered an endorsement of Hutchinson in his primary challenge against Republican Jan Morgan, a Trump advocate.

“.@AsaHutchinson, the great Governor of Arkansas, is in a primary tomorrow. He has done an incredible job with a focus on lower taxes, border security, and crime prevention. Asa loves our military and our veterans. I fully endorse Asa for Governor!” President Trump tweeted.

The Arkansas GOP primary for governor is Tuesday, May 22nd.