Sanders suggests she'll keep Arkansas job over role in Trump's second term
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) indicated she will keep her role as governor over a spot in the Trump administration should he win reelection in November.
When asked in an interview with Talk Business & Politics last week if she would accept a role in the Trump administration, if asked, Sanders said, "I love the job I have. I'm excited to be back in Arkansas."
"I think we’re doing really great things and I look forward to keeping this job for the next six and a half years,” Sanders said, suggesting she plans to run for reelection in 2026.
Sanders, who is serving her first term as governor of the Bear State, served as White House press secretary under Trump from 2017 to 2019. She is currently the youngest governor in the country.
She has been a longtime supporter of Trump, defending the former president in the wake of criticism. She endorsed Trump's reelection bid last November but noted earlier this year she is not interested in being vetted for the former president's vice-presidential pick.
"I've been a strong advocate for the president since the early 2016 campaign when I worked for him," Sanders said. "I've been an outspoken supporter; I think there are very few people that you'll find that have been probably as publicly supportive of this president than I have. I feel very confident he's going to win in November. I'm proud of the fact that I get to stand and support him."
Sanders noted she believes the upcoming presidential race is a "very different" election, given both candidates have served time in the Oval Office.
"It feels the same to me maybe in some ways, but you have two people who have now actually served as president and they have very clear records of what they have done in the office, not just what they’ve talked about, but what they’ve actually done,” she told Talk Business & Politics and Capitol View, which aired the interview Sunday.
The governor also spoke about her focus on reducing her state's income tax to zero, with state lawmakers completing a special session called by Sanders last week to refuse the top personal income and corporate income tax rates.
“People are generally happy when they’re paying less taxes, so that’s a big win, and when you’re competing with Texas on one side, Tennessee on the other, and even the other surrounding states that had a lower tax rate prior to the tax cuts we passed this week, it makes it harder for businesses to want to come in because their employees aren’t going to make as much money for how much they’re paying them,” Sanders said. “So, it’s a great recruiting tool."