Highlights:
Sanders Did Not Reply To A Question About Trump’s Efforts To Overturn The 2020 Election. According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, “While Trump is urging lawmakers to overturn the election results, most members of the all-Republican Arkansas congressional delegation have promised to honor the will of the voters. […] Former Trump campaign surrogates were hard to reach Tuesday. Atty. Gen. Leslie Rutledge, who serves as co-chair of Lawyers for Trump, did not respond to numerous requests for comment on efforts to overturn the election results. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Trump's former press secretary, also opted not to reply.” [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 1/6/21]
Sanders Did Not Answer When Asked If Trump Legitimately Lost The 2020 Election. According to the Washington Examiner, “Another official with ties to Trump, former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, is running to be the next governor of Arkansas. Her office did not respond as to whether Trump was the legitimate loser of the election.” [Washington Examiner, 6/4/21]
Sanders Did Not Directly Answer Whether She Thought The 2020 Election Was Stolen From Trump. According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, “Asked whether she believes the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Trump, Sanders said, ‘I don't think we'll ever know the depths of how much fraud existed.’ ‘We know there is fraud in every election,’ she said. ‘How far and wide it went, I don't think that will be something that will be ever determined. I do think that the country would be infinitely better off if Donald Trump was the president right now, and I think anything we can to do as we go into the next election cycle to strengthen our election process and provide greater election integrity is something we should be striving for.’” [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 5/1/22]
Sanders Said, “I Don't Think We'll Ever Know The Depths Of How Much Fraud Existed” In The 2020 Election.. According to CNN, “Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the former White House press secretary under Trump, has run a low-profile Arkansas gubernatorial campaign with only sporadic public comments to the media. But when the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette newspaper asked her this spring whether she believes the election was stolen from Trump, Sanders declined to affirm the election's legitimacy -- saying, ‘I don't think we'll ever know the depths of how much fraud existed. She continued: ‘We know there is fraud in every election. How far and wide it went, I don't think that will be something that will be ever determined.’ Sanders didn't go nearly as far as her obscure primary opponent, who flatly declared the election stolen. Still, she chose to vaguely cast doubt on the outcome. (There is no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election, certainly not enough to have changed the winner in any state.) The Sanders campaign did not respond to a request for comment.” [CNN, 8/11/22]
Sanders Did Not Include Trump In Her Condemnation Of The January 6 Attack On The Capitol. According to the New York Times, “In an ominous sign for the Republicans who want to move past Mr. Trump, many of those with future ambitions within the Republican Party left the president conspicuously absent from their condemnations of the riot last Wednesday, such as Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the former White House press secretary, who may run for governor of Arkansas in 2022.” [New York Times, 1/11/21]
Sanders Dismissed Criticism From Then-Sen. Flake Over Trump Referring To Democrats As Traitors. According to the Associated Press, “Flake said he didn't buy it: ‘I have seen the president's most ardent defenders use the now-weary argument that the president's comments were meant as a joke, just sarcasm, only tongue in cheek. But treason is not a punchline, Mr. President,’ he said. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee retorted: ‘I don't really care what Sen. Flake has to say.’ Trump made his treason remark during an appearance at an Ohio manufacturing plant, where he said Republicans went ‘totally crazy, wild, they loved everything’ about his State of the Union address. He described Democrats as refusing to applaud even positive news, and said they'd prefer to see him do badly than the country do well. ‘Can we call that treason? Why not?’ he asked, lobbing an extraordinary accusation. ‘They certainly didn't seem to love our country very much,’ Trump added.” [Associated Press, 2/6/18]
Flake Criticized Trump For Calling Democrats “Treasonous” For Not Applauding During His State Of The Union. According to CNN, “Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake, who is a frequent critic of President Donald Trump, sharply criticized the President on the Senate floor Tuesday for his remarks he made where he called Democrats ‘treasonous.’ Trump had accused stone-faced Democrats of treason for not standing and applauding during his State of the Union address.’I have seen the President’s most ardent defenders use the now-weary argument that the President’s comments were meant as a joke, just sarcasm, only tongue in cheek,’ he said. ‘But treason is not a punchline, Mr. President.’ During a speech outside Cincinnati, Trump called Democrats who didn’t applaud for him ‘treasonous.’” [CNN, 2/6/18]
2019: Sanders Said Biden’s Claim That Trump Was An “Existential Threat To America,” Including Democratic Norms, Was “Truly Laughable.” According to The Hill, “The White House on Tuesday brushed off former Vice President Joe Biden’s plan to call President Trump an ‘existential threat to America’ as ‘truly laughable,’ previewing how the two men might go after one another during a trip to Iowa. The 2020 Democratic presidential front-runner plans to deliver a speech to supporters accusing Trump of threatening ‘our core values,’ democratic norms and America’s standing in the world, according to prepared remarks shared with The Hill. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters she is not sure Trump will go after Biden during his appearance in the Hawkeye State, but offered a taste of what the president might say. ‘The idea that he would say that the president poses any type of threat is truly laughable, considering he was part of the administration that allowed Russia to interfere in our election,’ she said.” [The Hill, 6/11/19]
January 25, 2021: Sanders Accepted Trump’s Endorsement For Governor Three Weeks After The January 6 Attack On The Capitol. According to a tweet from Sanders’ personal Twitter account, “Thank you President Trump for your endorsement and for always believing in me. As governor I will defend our freedom and lead with heart.” [Twitter - @SarahHuckabee, 1/25/21]
March 15, 2021: Sanders Thanked Vernon Jones For His Endorsement. According to the Daily Mail, “On Sunday, Sanders also posted a photo with former Georgia state representative Vernon Jones, an ex-Democrat who has become a vocal Trump supporter. 'Let me be clear about who will be the next Governor of Arkansas, @SarahHuckabee! She's smart, educated, knowledgeable, and experienced,' he tweeted on Sunday, declaring his endorsement for Sanders. 'But most of all, she cares about you, me, and she loves our country! Join me in supporting Sarah for Arkansas Governor.' Sanders thanked Jones for his endorsement in a post to her Instagram stories. Jones' endorsement may prove controversial for the former press secretary, as the Georgia lawmaker addressed crowds before the deadly storming of the United States Capitol on January 6. 'They don't know they have awakened a sleeping giant,' said Jones, according to WGCL-TV.” [Daily Mail, 3/15/21]
Sanders Thanked Vernon Jones For His Endorsement. According to the Daily Mail, “Jones' endorsement may prove controversial for the former press secretary, as the Georgia lawmaker addressed crowds before the deadly storming of the United States Capitol on January 6. 'They don't know they have awakened a sleeping giant,' said Jones, according to WGCL-TV.” [Daily Mail, 3/15/21]
Sanders Said She Would Sign Into Law A Bill That More Than Tripled The Number Of Counties Where Signatures For Ballot Initiatives Needed To Be Gathered From 15 To 50. According to the Associated Press, “Proposed initiatives would face a new hurdle to qualifying for the Arkansas ballot under a measure lawmakers sent to the governor Monday that more than triples the number of counties where signatures must be gathered. The bill passed by the majority-Republican Senate raises the number of counties where a minimum number of signatures from registered voters must be submitted from 15 to 50. The House approved the legislation last month. […] Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders planned to sign the measure into law, spokesperson Alexa Henning said in an email. Henning said Sanders ‘wants to ensure all Arkansans, especially rural residents, have a voice in this process.’” [Associated Press, 3/6/23]
Sanders Signed The Legislation On March 16, 2023. According to a press release from the Governor of Arkansas’ Office, “On Thursday, March 16, 2023, the Governor signed into law: […] HB1510, to amend the law concerning special elections on measures and questions.” [Press release –Governor of Arkansas, 3/16/23]
2022: Arkansas Voters Rejected A Legislative Proposal That Would Have Increased The Necessary Percentage For A Ballot Initiative To Pass To 60%. According to the Associated Press, “Arkansas voters last year rejected a proposal the Legislature put on the ballot that would have required a 60% vote to approve ballot initiatives. The proposal would have applied to measures placed on the ballot via petition or the Legislature.” [Associated Press, 3/6/23]
2020: Arkansas Voters Rejected A Proposed Constitutional Amendment That Would Have Raised The Number Of Counties Where Signatures Needed To Be Collected To Place Initiatives On The Ballot To 45. According to the Associated Press, “The measure approved Monday is similar to another proposed constitutional amendment voters rejected in 2020 that would have raised the number of counties where signatures were required to 45.” [Associated Press, 3/6/23]