Asa Hutchinson suspends campaign, says 'telling the truth' about Trump didn't 'sell' in Iowa

Asa Hutchinson suspended his presidential campaign on Tuesday morning after a disappointing showing in the Iowa Caucuses on Monday night.

"My message of being a principled Republican with experience and telling the truth about the current front-runner did not sell in Iowa. I stand by the campaign I ran," Hutchinson said in a written statement. "I answered every question, sounded the warning to the GOP about the risks in 2024 and presented hope for our country’s future."

With 100% of the precincts reporting, Hutchinson earned 0.2% of the votes in Iowa. Former President Donald Trump earned a historic 51% of the vote, beating his closest opponent by almost 30 percentage points in a record-setting margin of victory for a Republican in the caucuses.

“I congratulate Donald J. Trump for his win last night in Iowa and to the other candidates who competed and garnered delegate support. Today, I am suspending my campaign for President and driving back to Arkansas," Hutchinson said in a written statement.

Hutchinson's presence in Iowa has been a steady heartbeat set in the background of a clamorous field of candidates. But his level-headed demeanor and "consistent, conservative" message have failed to spike momentum with prospective caucusgoers in Iowa.

The former Arkansas governor, who announced his candidacy for the presidency in late April, has held 88 public events including meet and greets and town halls, stopping in more than 40 cities across the Hawkeye State, according to the Des Moines Register's Candidate Tracker.

2024 Iowa Caucuses: Results by precinct

Overshadowed by dominating competitors, Hutchinson's campaign largely flew under the radar, with events often topping out at a dozen people. And even as the GOP field has continued to narrow, he was unable to garner much support.

The final Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll of the caucus cycle showed Hutchinson polling at 1% — leagues behind former President Donald Trump, whose support reached 48% among likely Republican caucusgoers. He walked away Monday night with just 191 votes, according to the state Republican party.

He was the second candidate to drop out in the hours after Republican caucusgoers went out in sub-zero temperatures to support their favorite presidential candidates. Entrepreneur and author Vivek Ramaswamy suspended his campaign before all results were tallied, throwing his support behind Trump after getting 8% of the vote and three delegates.

Hutchinson, 73, who espouses Ronald Reagan-era values and policies, employed a retail-style campaign, with a message focused on the economy, border protection, instituting computer science in schools and the fentanyl crisis.

More: Here's when the Iowa Caucuses start, how they work, who can participate, where to go

Hutchinson, who has often shrugged off polls, has been banking on a long-haul strategy.

He made his final appeal to Iowa voters at a caucus site in Clive on Monday night.

"As president, I believe we have to showcase not just the strength of America, which is critical, but also the goodness of America. And I want to have a president that reflects the character of the United States of America. I want to tell the truth. I want to lead in times of crisis," Hutchinson told an audience of about 250 caucusgoers gathered at Eternity Church.

Hutchinson got four votes at the Clive precinct located at the church, and none of the West Des Moines precinct votes held in the same spot, results showed.

More: Early call of Trump as winner of Iowa Caucuses stirs anger. Here's why it happened

Later in the evening, Hutchinson left his watch party at Gusto Pizza Bar in Des Moines early. Sitting at the pizzeria alongside a group of staffers and family members, he said results were called too quickly when media outlets announced Trump had won just 31 minutes after caucuses began and fewer than 1,000 votes were tallied.

He told the Register it had become clear to him that former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley's momentum took a large percentage of the "non-Trump vote," calling it a "boost" at his expense.

"Beyond that, it's hard to compete against a lot of money," he said.

Virginia Barreda is a reporter for the Register. Reach her at vbarreda@dmreg.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Asa Hutchinson suspends campaign, says 'telling the truth' about Trump didn't 'sell' in Iowa