Trump torches Arkansas Gov. Hutchinson for vetoing bill banning puberty blockers in children

close

Video

Tucker questions Arkansas governor on 'how deeply' he's studied youth gender reassignment

'Tucker Carlson Tonight' host presses Gov. Hutchinson on why he vetoed a bill banning youth gender reassignment surgeries

Former President Donald Trump blasted Arkansas Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson for vetoing legislation that would have made his state the first to ban puberty blockers for minors who identify as transgender.

"Asa Hutchinson, the lightweight RINO Governor of Arkansas, just vetoed a Bill that banned the CHEMICAL CASTRATION OF CHILDREN," Trump said in a statement on Thursday. "'Bye-bye Asa,' that's the end of him! Fortunately for the Great State of Arkansas, Sarah Huckabee Sanders will do a fantastic job as your next Governor!"

ARKANSAS GOV VETOES BILL BANNING GENDER HORMONES, SURGERIES FOR TRANSGENDER YOUTH

On Tuesday, Hutchinson appeared on "Tucker Carlson Tonight" and said the bill presented to him "was overbroad, it was extreme." 

In this March 23, 2020 file photo, Gov. Asa Hutchinson, right, speaks in Little Rock, Ark. (Staton Breidenthal/The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette via AP, File)

"This is the first law in the nation that invokes the state between medical decisions, parents who consent to that and the decision of the patient. And so, this goes way too far. And in fact, it doesn't even have a grandfather clause [for] those young people that are under hormonal treatment," he argued. 

Hutchinson said he would have supported legislation that restricted only "reassignment surgery," which currently is not performed on minors in the state.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The Arkansas legislature voted overwhelmingly to override Hutchinson's veto.

Fox News' Yael Halon contributed to this report.