Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday night defended his veto against the Arkansas anti-trans medicine law and refused to be bullied by Tucker Carlson – rejecting the Fox host’s attempts to confuse him with gossip and erroneous characteristics.
Carlson has used his top-rated show repeatedly in recent months to attack trans children and their parents, largely under the guise of trying to prevent child abuse or protect the sanctity of women’s sports.
In March, he tore South Dakota’s Republican Governor Kristi Noem – a rising GOP star and potential presidential candidate – into the NCAA for “ caving ” by not signing a bill banning transgender women in sports. (Nam, who advocates excluding transgender athletes, said passage of the bill could lead to a lengthy lawsuit that the state would eventually lose.)
Prior to his interview with Carlson, Hutchinson told NPR that the Arkansas law banning gender-affirming treatment for transgender minors was “a step too far” and putting a “very vulnerable population in a more difficult position.”
He added, “My own personal opinion that this is too extreme, it was too broad, and not grandfather to those young people who are currently on hormone treatment.”
The Save Adolescents from Experimentation Act, which the state legislature passed by overriding Hutchinson’s veto, prohibits minors from receiving puberty blockers, hormones, and any transition-related surgeries, even if they have parental consent. It can also take away the licenses of healthcare providers who provide such services.
At the outset of his conversation with the Fox News star, the governor pointed out that Carlson’s description of Hutchinson’s position – which he said was “pro-choice on the issue of chemical castration” – was incorrect.
“If this had been a bill that simply banned chemical castration, I would have signed the bill,” Hutchinson said. But Tucker, as you know, this bill was too broad and extreme. It went way beyond what you just said. “
“And I made it clear that if this was about banning sex reassignment procedures, I absolutely would have signed that law,” he continued. But this was the first law in the nation to state the state between medical decisions, consenting parents, and the patient’s decision. And so this is going way too far. And in fact, it doesn’t even have a grandfather clause for those young people undergoing hormonal treatment. “
While insisting that puberty blockers were the equivalent of “ chemical castration, ” Carlson then wondered aloud why Hutchinson wouldn’t just abolish the laws that allow children to marry or drink alcohol. “There are all kinds of things in Arkansas, kids in every state are not allowed to do,” said Carlson.
Carlson also alleged that Hutchinson had not done much research on transgender issues, only for the governor to point out that he has studied the subject properly.
“Contrary to what you just said, I spent a lot of time assessing cases, meeting people, listening to the experts and also the faith leaders,” he said. ‘And I am a person of faith, but at the same time I am a person with the limited role of the government. I’ve signed pro-life bills. I sign a lot of bills that would be considered very conservative. But this is one that crosses the line. It is not necessary. “
Hutchinson referred Carlson to the American Academy of Pediatrics, which has spoken out against the bill for targeting transgender youth. Carlson waved that aside and instead asked the governor if he had spoken to companies like Walmart before vetoing the legislation.
After saying he hadn’t, Hutchinson tried to get back to his previous point, only for Carlson to reassure him whether he talked to corporate interests about the bill.
“Tucker, I answered that. I answered that question and I said, “No, I don’t have that.” Do you have a question? Hutchinson fired back and forced Carlson to hush for a moment.
“I am skeptical because we have certainly seen about the – let me say, Governor, with respect, I am skeptical that no corporation in the state of Arkansas has weighed you in on this bill in any way,” replied the host. from Fox eventually.
Carlson then went back to his original reasoning and asked why Hutchinson didn’t allow underage drinking and marriage, wondering out loud, “Why do we regulate children’s behavior when we let kids decide” to switch? Harassing Hutchinson, the governor eventually fired back at the increasingly hostile host.
“Do you want to keep talking or do you want me to answer the question ?!” Hutchinson asked.
The lengthy interview ended with Carlson asking Hutchinson if he could ever have foreseen that he would be the governor who vetoed “a law that would have protected children from chemical castration,” prompting Hutchinson to give a rather nuanced answer. to give.
“If you’re talking about fewer than 200 children in Arkansas who are currently undergoing hormone treatment and they are immediately cut off without a grandfather clause in the law, I don’t think that treats kids or their parents or their caregivers. Fair or equal,” he said.