Republican leaders may have future plans for Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
The Republican governor will be giving the GOP rebuttal following President Joe Biden’s State of the Union Address next week, according to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who made the announcement on Thursday.
The decision elicited positive responses from many fellow Republicans, the Daily Wire reported, adding: “The opposition’s response to a State of the Union address is typically delegated to a rising star in the party to offer a countervailing policy agenda to the nation. This year’s matchup on Tuesday night will pit Biden against a high-profile member of former President Donald Trump’s White House.”
She is the
✓ Youngest governor in America
✓ First female governor in Arkansas history
✓ First father-daughter governance in historyEveryone—including President Biden—should tune in. pic.twitter.com/8FlP4p8OIL
— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) February 2, 2023
“I’m honored to have the opportunity to address the nation after the State of the Union on Tuesday,” Sanders responded in a tweet. “What America needs – and what Republicans are offering – is a return to common sense and a commitment to the ideals that made America the land of the free and home of the brave.”
I’m honored to have the opportunity to address the nation after the State of the Union on Tuesday.
What America needs – and what Republicans are offering – is a return to common sense and a commitment to the ideals that made America the land of the free and home of the brave.
— Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@SarahHuckabee) February 2, 2023
Later, McCarthy noted that Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.) will give the Spanish-language Republican response to Biden’s speech.
Humbled and honored by the opportunity to deliver the Republican Address to the Nation in Spanish following the State of the Union.
My message is simple: The American Dream is a dream worth fighting for.
Mi mensaje es sencillo, el sueño americano merece ser defendido. 🇺🇸 https://t.co/PSglNMJm02
— Rep. Juan Ciscomani (@RepCiscomani) February 2, 2023
The Daily Mail noted further:
Sanders served as an adviser on Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and later became his White House press secretary for two years. She left the Trump administration in the summer of 2019 and then ran a successful campaign in the 2022 election cycle to become governor of Arkansas, a role once held by her father Mike Huckabee.
After being sworn in last month, Sanders quickly got down to business, signing an executive order banning the use of “Latinx” in government documents. She also banned Critical Race Theory in K-12 public schools.
As it appeared she would win her gubernatorial race in November, Sanders issued a statement: “Thousands of Arkansans continue to generously invest in this campaign and are ready for a governor to defend their freedoms and fight for opportunity for all. With Election Day less than a week away, our supporters are energized, momentum is on our side, and we are working toward a big victory on November 8.”
In a statement, outgoing GOP Gov. Asa Hutchison noted: “I’ve known Sarah Huckabee Sanders most of her life and know firsthand her love for our state and her heart for public service. Sarah has earned the Republican nomination and I’m delighted today to endorse her for Governor. The state of Arkansas will be in good hands with Sarah as Governor, and she has my full support.”
“I am honored to have the endorsement and full support of Governor Hutchinson. I am thankful for his leadership in lowering taxes and laying the foundation for future growth and prosperity. As governor, I will continue his work to lower and phase out the state income tax and unleash bold, conservative reforms that will create opportunity for all Arkansans,” Sanders said about Hutchinson’s endorsement.
