Hutchison: Lawsuit against Trump’s order is just for attention

Washington State GOP Chairperson Susan Hutchison says she’s pleased with President Trump’s Executive Action on immigration and refugees.

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Hutchison, who stood by Trump during some of his most trying moments in the campaign, says the order puts American citizens first.

“The American people are behind the president in order to secure our borders, make our country safe, fight Islamic terror, and all of these are small steps in making sure we keep Americans safe,” she said.

She dismissed the lawsuit against Trump by State Attorney General Bob Ferguson  as a publicity stunt.

“I think it’s an attention-getting opportunity for him and a few other Democrat [attorney generals],” she said.

Hutchison defends Trump

The lawsuit Hutchison is — not surprisingly — opposed to was announced on Monday. Ferguson was joined by 15 other state attorney generals as they declared the president’s orders suspending immigration from seven countries that have majority Muslim populations unconstitutional. The orders also prevent all refugees from entering the country for more than 100 days while officials come up with vetting procedures to ensure they pose no threat.

“It’s very clear that we are in the age of politics at the speed of Donald Trump,” Hutchison said.

Gov. Jay Inslee, who also spoke at Monday’s press conference, said the executive order unfairly targets Muslims.

“The clear intent of this executive order is to discriminate against one faith,” Inslee said. “It has a specific provision which creates, for the first time in American history, a test that bases your rights under the Constitution on what religion you follow.”

Former Attorney General Rob McKenna told Seattle’s Morning News, prior to the announced lawsuit, that it probably wouldn’t hold up in court.

“That will be a tough case for them to win,” he added. “The president has a great deal of power over who to let in [the country] and when. Since the policy boils down to stepping back and reviewing their vetting procedures for people coming in … I think it’s unlikely the AGs will ultimately prevail, but they are raising an important question.”

Hutchison points out the travel ban is temporary in most categories and she believes the lawsuit is political.

Hutchison was widely criticized during the presidential campaign for trying to rationalize Trump’s remarks about groping women that were caught on video in 2005. The scandal resulted in nearly two dozen Washington State Republican delegates calling for Trump to end his race for the White House.

The GOP chair was also accused of ignoring two complaints of physical intimidation during the Republican National Convention in July.

Despite previous calls for her to resign, Hutchison seems to be steadfast in her support of the president. She backed up her support for the president Tuesday morning during an interview on KIRO Radio.

Listen to the interview below.

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