GOP presidential hopeful Asa Hutchinson was booed by attendees at the Turning Point Action Conference in Florida over the weekend.
Instead, attendees chanted "Trump," clearly noting the crowd's preference for the former president.
GOP presidential candidate Asa Hutchinson was greeted by boos and chants of “Trump” at the Turning Point Action Conference in West Palm Beach, Florida.
— The Hill (@thehill) July 16, 2023
“I am delighted to be here today to express my support for young people being engaged in the political arena and fighting for the conservative cause,” he said despite the uproar.
“As Republicans, we need to be able to fight for our cause. We need to be able to build the spirit of our cause and to bring in independent and those like-minded folks that can support us and win in 2024," he added.
WATCH: Asa Hutchinson Relentlessly Booed & Jeered By MAGA Crowd At TPUSA With Chants of 'Trump! Trump! Trump!' https://t.co/hCRgh8tewc
— Mediaite (@Mediaite) July 16, 2023
"The former Arkansas governor has made a name for himself at the national level as a moderate, vetoing bills while in office that limited gender-affirming care for transgender youth, and openly criticizing Trump on the campaign trail," Mediaite reported.
"However, the hardline conservative base that was in attendance at the Turning Point conference did not seem to have much patience for Hutchinson as he touted the policy decision he made as governor during the Covid-19 pandemic," it added.
The same audience later overwhelmingly favored Trump in a straw poll, with the former president earning over 85% of the results in the Florida event.
No other candidate earned double digits, including Florida's own Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The uproar showed Hutinchson faces a difficult battle for 2024.
However, it also appears all other candidates continue to struggle to gain momentum over Trump in his comeback bid for the White House.
