Donald Trump held his own during his first one-on-one debate against Hillary Clinton, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Tuesday, while arguing that the Republican presidential nominee met expectations by showing “a command of the facts.”
“Certainly Hillary looked well in style [and] she was probably more aggressive, but the expectation was that Donald Trump couldn’t hold his own against Hillary during a 90-minute debate,” Hutchinson said on CNBC. “I think he showed a command of the facts when he was asked about nuclear first strike policy … I thought he showed a command of the facts on the crime issue and showed strength in his presentation.”
The Republican governor, who offered Trump his lukewarm endorsement in May, praised the GOP nominee for showing consistency in the debate.
“Donald Trump has been very consistent on job creation. That’s his priority and he nailed that last night,” Hutchinson said. “I don’t agree on everything that he says, but he’s been consistent in his message about bringing manufacturing back to the United States, bringing the cash back to the United States. He’s been consistent in his economic policy, he’s been consistent on his immigration policy, he’s been consistent on going after [the Islamic State].
“Last night, if the public watched the debate, which they did, they would have seen Donald Trump sticking to the same message,” he continued, claiming that Trump “was right on the facts and he identified with America.”
Hutchinson’s praise follows mixed reviews of Trump’s performance in the debate, which began with the billionaire hammering Clinton over trade, taxes and her role in the political establishment before she attacked his business acumen and caused him to veer off message.
CNN’s post-debate poll deemed Clinton the winner of the debate by a 35-point margin, while those who responded to online polls conducted by Time, CBS, Fortune, the Drudge Report, CNB and Variety favored Trump as the winner.
“Neither candidate lost the debate,” Hutchinson said. “I think both teams energized their supporters and I don’t think you’ll see a difference in the polls for the remainder of the election.”
