Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R-AR), who served as White House press secretary for former President Donald Trump, will endorse the 45th president on Wednesday night during counterprogramming to the third Republican primary debate.
NBC News’s Jake Taylor on Monday night first reported that Huckabee Sanders would appear at Trump’s rally in Hialeah, Florida, on Wednesday and announce her support for him as Trump’s opponents fight for the spotlight at a debate some 11 miles away in Miami. Huckabee Sanders’ office later confirmed the report to Politico.
In a statement to NBC News, the governor said:
It’s not a question between right versus left anymore. It’s normal versus crazy, and President Biden and the left are doubling down on crazy. The time has come to return to the normal policies of the Trump era which created a safer, stronger, and more prosperous America, and that’s why I am proud to endorse Donald Trump for President.
Trump thanked his former press secretary in response.
“We had great success in the White House, and it’s an honor to have Sarah’s endorsement. I look forward to having her at the big rally in Hialeah this Wednesday,” he told NBC News.
In July, Axios reported “tensions” had sprouted between the 45th president and Huckabee Sanders’ camps caused by her not endorsing him to that point. However, Huckabee Sanders’ press secretary, Alexa Henning, told Axios 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.
Five of Trump’s Republican primary opponents will share the debate stage just miles south of Hialeah on Wednesday at the third GOP debate. Trump did not attend either of the first two debates in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, or Simi Valley, California, and instead held counterprogramming during both events.
Tucker Carlson released a 45-minute interview with Trump moments before the August Milwaukee debate hosted eight of Trump’s challengers. During the second debate, seven of Trump’s rivals vied for the spotlight while the 45th president addressed striking members of the United Autoworkers in Michigan. That debate was described as a “pointless screaming match,” a “shambolic trainwreck,” and a junior varsity match-up from prominent figures across the political spectrum.
RELATED — MSNBC’s Joy Reid: “I Feel Dumber After Experiencing” GOP Debate, “Felt Like a Student Council Debate”
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