(NEXSTAR) – Almost every candidate who took the stage Wednesday night at the GOP primary debate wore a flag pin on their lapel – but one candidate went a step further, and wore two.
Asa Hutchinson, former governor of Arkansas, had the flag of the United States and the flag of Israel as a lapel pin.
Hutchinson, who is Baptist, according to Jewish news outlet Forward, has been a vocal supporter of Israel. He visited the country four times while he was governor, Forward reports.
In a 2021 interview with Jewish Insider, Hutchinson praised Israel as an ally in “a very dangerous part of the world and it is a friendship that helps keep America safe.”
The former two-term governor was the final candidate to meet the RNC’s qualifications. Satisfying the polling requirements but slowly working on passing the donor threshold, Hutchinson said Sunday on CNN that he had finally surpassed 40,000 unique donors.
Hutchinson is running in the mold of an old-school Republican and has differentiated himself from many of his GOP rivals in his willingness to criticize Trump. He posted pleas on Twitter for $1 donations to help secure his slot.
Every other candidate on the debate stage, except Nikki Haley, appeared to wear an American flag pin.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
