Yesterday, I wrote on Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson vetoing a bill in his state that would prevent chemical castration and sex-change surgeries from being performed on minors. To put it lightly, I wasn’t convinced by his arguments (see Republican Arkansas Governor Vetos Ban on Transgender Treatments on Minors, and It’s Why Republicans Lose).

Oh, you mean how abortions are banned for underage children in Arkansas? Or how you can’t just shoot up your ten your old with botox? The idea that the government doesn’t already protect children by stopping certain “healthcare” treatments is simply false. Why would the same principle not apply to something as serious as attempting to “transition” a 12-year-old?

This is why Republicans lose. When the GOP thinks they can just float above the fray, the culture simply passes right underneath them, and things don’t just magically move more towards sanity. But Hutchinson got plaudits from the ACLU and the transgender lobby so I guess that’s something.

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one that noticed this guy’s ridiculous reasoning for refusing to stop what many consider child abuse. Tucker Carlson had Hutchinson on last night to grill him on the latter’s decision.

What followed was an absolute beatdown. I almost feel compelled to call the cops after watching this.

The final 49 seconds of the segment:

"If someone ten years ago said you are going to be governor of Arkansas and you are going to veto a bill that would have protected children from chemical castration, what do you think you would have said?" pic.twitter.com/kIFnFHZYTM

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) April 7, 2021

I believe Hutchinson is term-limited for governor in Arkansas, but if he had any aspirations of jumping to the Senate, those are over. His career was effectively ended during this interview.

Hutchinson making a totally straight faced appeal to the "limited government principles" of Reagan and Buckley as a justification for allowing children to chemically castrate themselves show you how just how intellectually hollow the the GOP has become. https://t.co/W4LyEeYLoo

— Rachel Bovard (@rachelbovard) April 7, 2021

What’s so nuts about Hutchinson’s reasoning is that he’s effectively making a pro-abortion argument. If he believes that he can’t involve his state in certain “medical” procedures, he’s endorsing the excuse given by the left to justify killing children in the womb. Further, what he’s saying is nonsense anyway. The state absolutely has a duty to protect kids in society and already does so on a variety of levels. By Hutchinson’s logic, why have child labor laws? Why have child abuse laws at all? Preventing children from being shot up with hormone blockers and chemically castrated is not government overreach. It’s common sense, and it’s completely consistent with being a conservative.

But Hutchinson thinks you’re an idiot, which is why he tries to hide behind the ghost of Ronald Reagan. For far too long, Republicans have been allowed to bring up Reagan as some kind of all-encompassing shield for bad decision-making. GOP voters aren’t buying it anymore nor should they. Reagan wasn’t perfect himself, and he’s not relevant to what Arkansas’ governor is doing in 2021.

As I said in my original write-up on Hutchinson’s veto, any Republican that believes they can simply float above the fray and not engage directly in the culture war isn’t fighting the good fight – they are surrendering. We can’t have people who wave the white flag on an issue as fundamental as “transitioning” minors in positions of power.

It’s so impressive watching Tucker work. Compare his tenacity in going after Republicans to the complete sycophancy shown by liberal hosts toward Democrats. Tucker isn’t afraid to collect bodies from his own side, and we need more of that. Hutchinson wasn’t prepared for this interview, and he’s exactly the kind of Republican that should have no part in the future of the party.

If a GOP politician can’t stand up to prevent physical abuse of children, then that person doesn’t have any business being a Republican at all.