The Daily Caller co-founder Tucker Carlson has called on Republican presidential candidate Asa Hutchinson to defend her stance on allowing puberty inhibitors and gender reassignment surgery for minors.

Carlson asked the former Arkansas governor how distorting the natural development of adolescents could be “therapeutic.” Hutchinson vetoed a bill banning gender reassignment surgery for minors in April 2021, calling the bill “a huge government overreach.”

“If you have a child who says that, he was born a boy and I want to be a girl. Is it a treatment to prevent it from going through a painful process?

“Tucker, I’d love to talk to you about a sensitive issue,” Hutchinson began.

“Well, this is one of the biggest problems in this country, and I think everyone in this room agrees that this is an important problem because they are children who are being permanently altered. So, and if so, we can defend that alteration and that change.” Mr. Carlson countered.

The governor of Arkansas said it’s important for parents to “lead” their children through difficult situations. Hutchinson added that he opposed schools imposing a transgender ideology on children and denounced allowing children to use toilets of their own choosing.

Carlson hit back by reminding Hutchinson that he supports children choosing their gender. (Related article: ‘Shame and Fear’: Tucker Carlson doesn’t blame doctors for transgendering children)

“But you said that children should be able to choose their gender, that parents should be able to affirm it, and that there are no rules for the state to get involved. Does that mean that children shouldn’t choose their toilet, but they can choose their gender? I don’t know,” he said.

“Let me finish what I said,” said Hutchinson. “If you don’t mind, let me finish.”

“Well then, go ahead,” said Carlson.

“And finally, I told President Obama that it would be a mistake to do it publicly and that school districts can ignore that guidance,” the governor continued. “So I don’t think the government should impose an agenda on our schools. And that’s what I’m against.”

A total of 20 states Banned Sex reassignment surgery or hormone therapy for minors. Indiana recently passed a ban in April restricting these procedures to those over the age of 18.

The report concludes that the effects of hormone therapy and puberty blockers are often irreversible, damaging fertility, bone density and mental health. Several European counties, including the United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway and Finland, have classified the treatment as “experimental” and recommended discontinuing hormone administration to minors.

An Arkansas law banning all child sex reassignment procedures was repealed in June.