Huckabee Sanders assumes press secretary position

WASHINGTON — New White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was schooled in hardscrabble politics — and down-home rhetoric — from a young age by her father, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

Her way with a zinger — and her unshakable loyalty to an often unpredictable boss — are big reasons why she became a rising star in President Donald Trump’s orbit. She’ll take over for Sean Spicer, who abruptly announced Friday that he’s resigning, effective at the end of August.

Sanders steps into what has been deemed the most difficult job in Washington. Her responsibilities are not just to do combat with a feisty White House press corps but to try to please a mercurial president who fancies himself his own best spokesman.

Trump often presents his own thoughts directly on Twitter in the early hours of the morning and is known to closely follow his surrogates on television, assessing their performances. He has been happy with Sanders’ advocacy, says Kellyanne Conway, a counselor to the president.

“She understands America. She understands the president. And she understands how to connect the two,” Conway told The Associated Press in March. “The president has a great deal of trust in Sarah.”

Sanders, in her debut briefing after the announcement of her promotion, promised to “be as open, honest and transparent with you all as humanly possible.” Her low-key approach, which came after a 37-minute charm offensive from new communications director Anthony Scaramucci, was in stark contrast to Spicer’s debut in the role.

Spicer, in his first briefing, berated reporters about underestimating the size of Trump’s inaugural crowds and refused to take questions.

Sanders, who will be the third female press secretary in history, credits her larger-than-life dad with helping her learn how to deliver a message.