The White House apologized Wednesday to former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson after the Democratic National Committee’s press secretary mocked Hutchinson’s withdrawal from the presidential race, according to CNN.

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White House chief of Staff Jeff Zients called Hutchinson, who withdrew from the race for the 2024 Republican nomination for president on Wednesday morning to apologize for a statement issued by the DNC that read: “This news comes as a shock to those of us who could’ve sworn he had already dropped out.”

President Joe Biden has a “deep respect” for Hutchinson, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters during Wednesday’s press briefing, “and admires the race that he ran.”

“This morning, the chief of staff here, Jeff Zients, called the governor to convey this and apologized for the statement that did not that did not represent the president’s views,” she said.

According to CNN, Hutchinson said he didn’t “pay much attention” to the DNC’s statement, but he appreciated Zients reaching out to him.

“He apologized and it meant a lot to me, and to me that reflects the good parts of American politics,” the former governor told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “The Lead.” “You fight hard but then, at the end of the day, you want to make sure you treat each other with respect.

“My message of being a principled Republican with experience and telling the truth about the current front-runner did not sell in Iowa,” Hutchinson said in a statement Tuesday. “I stand by the campaign I ran.”

Hutchinson had criticized former President Donald Trump throughout his campaign. He said during a Republican debate that he would not support Trump as the party’s nominee if he were to be convicted in any of the four criminal cases he’s currently facing.

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