Former Trump Press Secretary and Governor of Arkansas, Sarah Huckabee Sanders will speak following President Joe Biden’s State of the Union, delivering a Republican response at 9 p.m. ET, Tuesday night.
In a statement, Sanders said, “I am grateful for this opportunity to address the nation and contrast the GOP’s optimistic vision for the future against the failures of President Biden and the Democrats.”
The Republican State of the Union will be a direct response to the likely polarizing and divisive message President Biden is likely to deliver. In past messages to the country, Biden has blamed Republicans and “Ultra-MAGA” Republicans for the political polarization facing the country currently, often bringing up old news, such as January 6th; all while choosing to ignore the rising crime rates facing the country, and the poor economy he’s struggled to repair following the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the midst of Biden’s poor polling numbers and the growing concern that the Democrats will look elsewhere for the 2024 U.S. Presidential election, it’s likely the case that Biden will need to take big swings at Republicans and Trump. However, with a direct Republican response to the State of the Union delivered by Sarah Huckabee Sanders, his message will struggle to resonate, as his monologue will now have a direct country argument.
Sanders is being trusted by many top Republicans, including Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, who said:
“The youngest governor in America, Sarah is fighting on behalf of parents, small businesses, and ordinary taxpayers… I’m thrilled Sarah will share her extraordinary story and bold vision for a better America on Tuesday. Everyone, including President Biden, should listen carefully,”
Sanders, like her father Mike Huckabee, as both formally served as Governor of Arkansas. Following Sanders’ decision to step down as White House press secretary in 2019, then-President Donald Trump expressed encouragement for Sanders again to run for Governor of Arkansas.
Delivering a State of the Union response has been seen as a major stepping stone for politicians throughout the previous decades, most notably for Bill Clinton, who delivered a Democratic response to President Ronald Reagan’s State of the Union address in 1985, before later becoming President himself. In 2016, 2024 Presidental candidate Nikki Haley delivered a Republican response to Obama’s last State of the Union address.
If the response goes over well and Sanders gains some traction, Trump-ally Sarah Huckabee Sanders may be a potential 2024 Vice Presidental candidate in 2024.
