DES MOINES — Friendly chatter between moderator Tucker Carlson and Republican presidential hopeful Asa Hutchinson quickly devolved during an onstage interview Friday at the Family Leadership Summit, a major gathering of social conservatives.
Right off the bat, Carlson asked the former Arkansas governor if his stance had changed from when he vetoed a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth in 2021.
Hutchinson defended his position, saying that while he agreed minors should not have transgender surgery, he felt the bill went too far.
“It was unconstitutional. It interfered with parents and so I sided with parents on that bill in managing the most sensitive issue that a parent can face. And I believe in a limited role of government,” he said.
Carlson continued to press him on the issue, and the two were stepping over each other’s words throughout the conversation.
As Carlson repeatedly questioned him about care for transgender minors, Hutchinson asked Carlson to move on.
“Tucker, I hope that you will be able to talk about some issues. I know that —” before Carlson interrupted.
“Well, this is one of the biggest issues in the country and I think I would, every person in this room would agree,” Carlson said.
Tensions escalated further when the former Fox News host pivoted to vaccines, asking how many shots Hutchinson had received.
“How many COVID shots did you take?” Hutchinson asked back.
“Zero” Carlson quickly replied to big applause.
At one point, while Carlson repeatedly questioned Hutchinson on whether he’d send troops to the border, Hutchinson interjected, “I’m going to finish my answer first,” before explaining why he’d prefer to use the National Guard and other alternatives to the military.
For the remaining 15 minutes, he received only mild applause from the crowd. While speaking to reporters after his interview with Carlson, Hutchinson said he nevertheless believes he won over Iowa voters.
“I think the audience was engaged with the conversation and with a differing point of view,” Hutchinson said, adding, “I think I won votes today.”
