LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Following the referred criminal charges by the Jan. 6 committee against former President Donald Trump, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson shared his disapproval for the group's referral.
In a pair of tweets that Hutchinson posted after the committee's meeting, Hutchinson criticized the group's decision, stating that the referral "isn't helpful to the DOJ in its review."
"The January 6 committee was created with a partisan lens from the beginning. Now the committee has referred former Pres. Trump to the DOJ for criminal prosecution. As a former federal prosecutor, I disagree with the referral," Hutchinson said.
The governor goes to continue in the second of the two tweets, declaring that he believes it's clear that Trump was responsible for the riot, but that it'll be difficult to move past Jan. 6 until there's "accountability."
"The record is clear that former Pres. Trump is responsible for what happened on January 6, but accountability is most likely to come from the American people who are ready for our country to move beyond the events of January 6," he said.
Hutchinson has previously been critical of the former president and his actions, most recently stating earlier this month that he believes Trump to be the worst choice for GOP.
His criticisms come the same day that Congresswoman Liz Cheney, who was a key participant in the Jan. 6 hearings, appeared in Arkansas to speak on the committee's referral.
"The facts led to criminal referrals for the former president of the United States," Cheney said. "Trump preyed on [January 6 rioters] patriotism in so many ways. Preyed on people's patriotism and turned it into a weapon."
The criticisms from Hutchinson and Cheney align with what's being seen as a dip in Republican Party support for Trump, who recently announced his candidacy for president.
Many of the big names in the Republican Party, including Senate leader Mitch McConell, provided little to no response to the referral against Trump.
When asked about the hearing on Monday, McConnell said "the entire nation knows who is responsible for that day," in reference to the criminal referral.
Despite the perceived waning in support from party mates amidst the criminal charge referral, it's being reported that Trump believes this controversy will ultimately help his 2024 bid for president.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
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