Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R-AR), who served as White House press secretary during the Trump administration, has yet to endorse a candidate in the Republican presidential primary, reportedly causing friction in her relationship with former President Donald Trump.
Axios’s Alex Thompson and Worth Sparkman reported on the alleged “tensions” between Trump and Sanders on Wednesday, citing anonymous sources “familiar with the relationship.”
Sanders reportedly informed Trump’s team months ago that she would abstain from backing a presidential candidate until after Arkansas’s first legislative session, which concluded more than two months ago on May 1.
In a refuted New York Times report in March, the outlet claimed that Trump had spoken with Sanders, who received his early endorsement in her successful gubernatorial bid last year, about landing her support. She stated, “She would not yet do so, according to two people briefed on the discussion.” The left-leaning Times reported Trump was “disappointed,” but the wording of “yet” seemed to indicate she would eventually support him.
Trump denied he made such a request in a Truth Social post the next day, writing, “I never asked Sarah Huckabee Sanders for an endorsement.”
“I give endorsements, I don’t generally ask for them. With that being said, nobody has done more for her than I have, with the possible exception of her great father, Mike!” he added.
According to Thompson and Sparkman, Trump, who has dominated national and state primary polls for months, has grown increasingly frustrated with his former press secretary, as her allies reportedly say she is eyeing a presidential run in forthcoming cycles. However, Huckabee’s press secretary, Alexa Henning, denied that the governor has national aspirations in elections years away, adding that she is concentrated on governing her state.
While many other Republicans, who Axios sees as having potential future presidential hopes, have yet to endorse in the GOP primary, Sanders’ dynamic is certainly unique in light of her prominent role in his administration.
Then-U.S. President Donald Trump speaks about the departure of Sarah Huckabee Sanders, then-White House press secretary, right, during a second chance hiring and re-entry initiative event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on June 13, 2019. (Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Another layer to the dynamic centers around her relationship with Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and his wife, Casey, which has budded in recent years. Specifically, a source told the outlet that when Sanders and Casey DeSantis were undergoing their respective cancer treatments, they developed a close relationship.
In a statement to Axios, Henning emphasized that the governor “loves President Trump.”
“Governor Sanders loves President Trump and believes our country would be much better off under his leadership than President Biden and that President Trump is the dominant frontrunner and our likely Republican nominee in 2024,” Henning said.
Neither Trump’s nor DeSantis’s campaigns offered comment on the dynamic to Axios. Sanders’ father, former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR), has already announced his support for the 45th president.
“Just to be clear, I will, again, personally support President Trump so he can finish what he started during his first term,” Huckabee said in March.
