Republican Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson expressed his gratitude to President Joe Biden for his efforts to “depoliticize our COVID response” during a Monday video conference.
The president held a video call with a number of state governors, discussing the nation’s struggle against the Omicron variant. Hutchinson used his opening remarks to commend the Biden administration for “being such great support to the governors,” according to The Hill.
“I want to thank, Mr. President, [for] your address to the nation last week. Thank you for your comments designed to depoliticize our COVID response. I think that was helpful,” the governor said.
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) praises Biden’s testing efforts, his team’s “responsiveness,” and efforts to “depoliticize our COVID response.” pic.twitter.com/6npwwO9yoV
— The Recount (@therecount) December 27, 2021
Hutchinson then went on to praise Biden’s Tuesday announcement on increasing the availability of free rapid COVID-19 tests, which he said “has become a real challenge for the governors.” (RELATED: Biden: K-12 Schools Should Stay Open With Masking, Vaccination)
“As we face omicron, the governors and your administration must be working together more closely than ever,” he added.
During his Tuesday address dedicated to the measures against Omicron, Biden acknowledged the efforts of former President Donald Trump’s administration in developing the vaccines and promoted Trump’s decision to get a booster shot, noting that it was “one of the few things” the two agreed on.