Sarah Sanders, former Trump press secretary, runs for Arkansas governor
Sarah Sanders, the former White House press secretary, has launched a campaign for Arkansas governor, releasing a pre-recorded message laden with Trumpist rhetoric and touting her widely criticized record in the former administration.
Sanders, 38, is the daughter of Mike Huckabee, the former Republican Arkansas governor who served in the role for more than a decade and launched two failed presidential bids. She served for almost two years as White House press secretary, a tenure characterised by lies, mistruths and attacks on the press.
Interviewed by the former special counsel Robert Mueller, Sanders admitted to making unfounded claims about support for the firing of the former FBI director James Comey, which she later described as “a slip of the tongue” in “the heat of the moment”.
In her campaign announcement video, posted to Twitter on Monday, Sanders continued to rail against the press, stating: “As White House press secretary I never had to worry about the far left and their allies, CNN, the
New York Times, defining me. Because I have a creator who has already done that.”
Sanders joins an Arkansas primary that already includes two statewide elected leaders, the lieutenant governor, Tim Griffin, and the attorney general, Leslie Rutledge. The three are running to succeed the governor, Asa Hutchinson, a Republican unable to run due to term limits. No Democrats have announced a bid in the election, which will take place in November 2022.
Sanders launched her bid less than a week after the end of Donald Trump’s presidency and as the ex-president faces a second impeachment trial. Arkansas is a red state where Republicans tend to embrace the former president. But it has elected a number of Democratic governors in recent decades, including Bill Clinton.
In her announcement video, Sanders railed against “socialism and cancel culture” and claimed: “Our freedom and the rule of law are under attack.”
She had been widely expected to run for the office after leaving the White House, Trump having publicly encouraged her. She has been laying the groundwork for a candidacy, speaking to Republican groups around the state.
In the event, she made her move in the aftermath of a riot by Trump supporters at the US Capitol that left five people dead. More than 130 people have been charged in the insurrection, which was aimed at halting the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory.
Sanders made a passing reference to the 6 January insurrection in her announcement, but made no mention of Trump’s role inciting the mob.
“We’ve seen violence in our streets, at a congressional baseball practice and at our Capitol,” she said. “This is not who we are as Americans.”
Sanders was the first working mother and only the third woman to be White House press secretary. But she also faced questions about her credibility.
During her tenure as Trump’s chief spokeswoman, daily televised briefings led by the press secretary ended after Sanders repeatedly sparred with reporters who aggressively questioned her about administration policy and the investigation into possible coordination between Trump’s campaign and Russia.
Trump’s tumultuous exit from the presidency may do little damage to Sanders in Arkansas. Republicans hold all statewide and federal seats, as well as a solid majority in both chambers of the legislature.
Griffin and Rutledge have combined raised more than $2.8m in a race which could get even more crowded. Republican state senator Jim Hendren, a nephew of Hutchinson, is considering a run.
Sanders, who published a book last year and joined Fox News as a contributor, enters the race with by far the highest candidate profile.
On Monday morning, Donald Trump Jr tweeted: “Let me know how I can help! You’re going to win and you will be great!”