Asa Hutchinson’s four decade career in public service has led him to serve as Governor of Arkansas, U.S. Congressman, and U.S. Attorney. He also served as head of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, and was the inaugural Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Border Protection.Hutchinson also participated as a candidate in the 2024 Republican presidential primary. During his time as a resident fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics in the fall of 2024, Hutchinson sat down with the HPR to discuss why he entered the world of public service, his reflections on his accomplishments while in office, and his advice to the next generation of leaders.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Harvard Political Review: Who is Asa Hutchinson? Tell me something most people don’t know about you?
Asa Hutchinson: Everybody knows my public career, from Congress, to the Bush administration, to Governor. What they don’t know is that I’m really a lawyer at heart, and I’ve tried well over 80 jury trials. I love the courtroom, and that defines me as much as my public career.
HPR: What do you think brought you to the world of politics and public service?
AH: What brought me there was a belief that while here on Earth, we’re here to impact our world, and in a positive way. Whenever you have that conviction, you recognize that the political arena is where you can have incredible influence for your values and the direction of the country.
In many ways, it’s an outgrowth of what I learned growing up on a farm that our community and our neighbors are important, and service is important. My dad — long past draft age — at 37, volunteered in World War II, and that set an example for me. My public service was not in the military, it was in a different way. But that my faith, my worldview, influenced me in saying politics is important.
HPR: So far in your career, among the many roles you’ve held, Congressman, DEA, DHS, Governor, what’s an accomplishment you are proud of?
AH: A policy issue that I championed that impacted tens of thousands for generations to come is my leadership on computer science education. We were the first state to mandate computer science at every high school. We incorporated it into K-8, retrained teachers, and invested money.
The result was we went from 1,100 students taking computer science to over 23,000. That number will continue to grow. Arkansas is recognized as a national leader in [Computer Science education]. I continued that emphasis as chairman of the National Governors Association. That campaign issue became a policy success that really helped shape and give opportunity to young people in Arkansas and our growth of the technology industry.
HPR: You were elected to Congress in 1996 and served for four years. Looking back, how has Congress changed from when you were there to how it is today?
AH: The divide is greater today than it even was during the Clinton impeachment. The divide is greater, the rhetoric is more harsh, friendships are more fragile, and that’s not good for our institution of Congress. In terms of substantively what we’ve learned is that when the government shuts down, it hurts the consumers, the elderly, it closes our national parks. From a political standpoint, Congress has never won a government shutdown in terms of public relations; it’s a lot of brinkmanship.
I look at the debate on substantive legislation — the SAVE act. Present a bill, debate a bill, and vote it up or down, but don’t tie it to a continuing resolution to keep the government open.
HPR: You were working in the Bush administration on 9/11, and were part of the largest reorganization of Government institutions since the creation of the Pentagon with the Department of Homeland Security. DHS’s mission is to keep people safe. How has it done that, and what are the future threats that we face?
AH: The [Department of Homeland Security] increased our security here in America, and they developed a strategy — certainly not perfect — that utilized partnerships and technology. You’re not simply regulating what the federal government tells every company —“this is how high your fence should be.” It’s partnering with the private sector and saying, “What are you doing to increase your own security?” That philosophy that we started with after 9/11, I think it’s been successful.
The Mandate for Homeland Security is to keep America protected from a terrorist attack, but to do it in a way that’s consistent with the lawful flow of commerce and the protection of civil liberties. That speaks volumes about our democracy and the importance of freedom, balanced with the necessity of security. That mandate helped Homeland Security get off to a good start.
The threats today are as high as they’ve ever been since 9/11. When you look at global threats, domestic threats, the political dialogue today in which we’re telling the opposing side that you’re an existential threat to our democracy. And when people hear that language, they can take their own actions, at least they think that.
HPR: You were governor of Arkansas for two terms during turbulent times. What are your biggest takeaways from the job?
AH: I was the first governor in over 100 years to be a Republican governor with a Republican legislature. I had to change the culture to lower taxes. We went from 7% down to 4.9% while I was governor in our state income tax rate. We shrunk the state government over eight years, and wound up with 3,000 fewer state employees than I started the governorship with. I was one of the few Southern states to continue Medicaid expansion.
Sometimes you’ve got to lead even if you’re going to pay a political price for it. COVID is probably a good example. During the pandemic, I was actually promoting the vaccine. We didn’t mandate it, but I led with town hall meetings across Arkansas and educating and encouraging it.
HPR: You were the chair of the National Governors Association, working alongside your Democratic and Republican colleagues. What do you think Washington can learn from how you got along and got things done?
AH: Everything. The states also need to learn from Washington, with Washington being a bad example of hyper-partisanship. There’s a risk that the states are going to start mirroring what’s happening in Washington. And we need to stay away from that, because we need to get things done.
What I love about being governor is that you actually could get things done and be held accountable for it. I think we just have to emphasize the importance of leadership. Leadership can heal and bring people together, or it can further divide.
HPR: You ran for President, unsuccessfully. Your campaign sought to shift from a Trump party and it didn’t succeed. What do you think the campaign for president showed you about the shift we’ve seen in the Republican party?
AH: One of the principal lessons running for the president of the United States is that I saw firsthand that the people of America care about our country. Whether you’re in Iowa, or New Hampshire, or here in Massachusetts, people care. They come up with different solutions, have different viewpoints. But they really care, and that is fundamental.
Secondly, I saw my role as running for president not just to be leader of the country, but really for the soul of the Republican Party. To restore it to a party that believes that character still matters, that ideas are more important, and that public service means the public, not personal branding. To me, it’s not a good day in American politics when the loudest voice in the room wins over character and conservative policies.
HPR: Any career words of advice for young students seeking to go into public service or politics?
AH: Be authentic to yourself and to the public. That’s what people want to see. Whatever your public service, don’t forget the importance of a sense of ambition balanced with a sense of humility — that it’s not all about you, but it’s about our country, and it’s about service.
I think the students understand that, but that advice is important. Secondly, nothing happens in politics overnight. Be patient and wait for the right opportunity of service, and be prepared for it.
