


Former President Donald Trump suggested that former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson shouldn't be running for president during an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Wednesday night.
The interview aired on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, at the same time as the Republican National Committee's first primary debate of the 2024 cycle, which Trump is snubbing by not participating.
UP FOR DEBATE: WHERE TRUMP, DESANTIS, AND REST OF REPUBLICAN 2024 FIELD STAND ON KEY ISSUES
Carlson asked Trump early on in the interview, "When you say there are people onstage who shouldn't be running for president. Who do you mean?"
Trump at first played coy with his response. "Well, I don't want to really use names, but it wouldn't matter too much," he said at first. "A guy like, I call him Ada Hutchinson. It's Asa, but I call him Ada."
Carlson asked Trump point blank, "Why do you call him Ada?"
"I could tell you, but I don't want to get myself in a little trouble," Trump responded. "But he's weak and pathetic, and I never understood that guy. I never knew him. He was the governor of Arkansas. Not a very popular guy."
"But he's nasty always and has been," Trump added.
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Trump leads Hutchinson and all over 2024 rivals by double digits in national and state polls. A RealClearPolitics average has Trump at 55.4%, while Hutchinson polls at 0.8%.
Trump also called the RNC debate "our competition" during his interview with Carlson.