

Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who endorsed Marco Rubio during the Republican primary, will back Donald Trump for president now that he is the presumptive nominee.

Responding to our query with a statement that mentions Trump by name once, the governor said today that he would support the eventual Republican nominee (inevitably Trump):

I have said from the beginning that I would support the Republican nominee for president. Primaries are difficult and often times very messy. The 2016 Republican and Democratic primaries were no different. The general election, however, should be different. It should be about the issues and about the direction of our country. In addition, the candidates – and the media – should hold themselves to a higher standard of public discourse. I do not agree with everything Mr. Trump has said nor have I endorsed every policy he’s announced, but I do believe the Republican Party’s fiscally conservative approach to government and the values we stand for are far greater than what the other side has to offer the American people. Those are the reasons why I will support the nominee of the party in November. I will work to shape the direction of our party and the policies of the GOP nominee. I don’t expect to agree with all of the statements and positions of our nominee, but, in November, it is important that we elect a president who will lead America in a fiscally sound direction and with global leadership. I am confident the best person will be the Republican nominee.

Back in February, Hutchinson said, “It is up to Arkansas to stop the Donald Trump show. The next generation of conservatives cannot allow Donald Trump to take everything we stand for and throw it away.”

But that ship has sailed.