Republican Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders will endorse former President Donald Trump’s 2024 election bid this week, she announced Tuesday.
Trump’s White House press secretary from 2017 to 2019 will make the official endorsement on Wednesday, NBC News reported.
Sanders, who has been leading Arkansas since January, said in a statement to the network that the country was more “prosperous” under Trump.
“It’s not a question between right versus left anymore,” she told NBC News on Tuesday. “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,” Sanders added.
Trump’s campaign celebrated the endorsement in a news release:
NEW in Election Developments
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders Endorses Trump For President pic.twitter.com/JAVWDKXqtc— Stephanie Myers (@_StephanieMyers) November 7, 2023
The governor will endorse Trump over Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Asa Hutchinson, her predecessor in the Arkansas governor’s mansion.
Hutchinson is currently polling at 0 percent in the Republican 2024 primary but has not offered any indication he will drop out of the race, according to Morning Consult.
He will not be at Wednesday’s GOP debates which NBC News is hosting. Trump will also skip the debate and hold a rally near Miami where Sanders will reportedly endorse him.
Sanders’ endorsement was reportedly seen as late by people close to Trump.
A person described as being in the former president’s close orbit reportedly said there have been a lot of questions asked regarding why Trump’s former press secretary has waited until now to offer him her support.
“[Mar-aLago] has been furious with her for months for going this long without endorsing,” the person reportedly said. “There’s always a way back in Trump world, but I’m not sure if President Trump will ever view her the same again.”
In his own statement, Trump said he was proud to have the endorsement.
“We had great success in the White House and it’s an honor to have Sarah’s endorsement,” Trump said. “I look forward to having her at the big rally in Hialeah this Wednesday.”
Sanders’ endorsement comes a day after Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds endorsed DeSantis at a rally in her state on Monday evening.
“As a mother, grandmother, and American, I can’t sit on the sidelines,” Reynolds posted after the rally. “@RonDeSantis is the person who will fight for you. Who will have the moral conviction to do what’s right & the ability to actually do what he promises.”
As a mother, grandmother, and American, I can’t sit on the sidelines.@RonDeSantis is the person who will fight for you. Who will have the moral conviction to do what’s right & the ability to actually do what he promises.
His record proves that. He has my full endorsement! pic.twitter.com/938D6iYKCB
— Kim Reynolds (@KimReynoldsIA) November 7, 2023
The governor concluded, “His record proves that. He has my full endorsement!”
DeSantis thanked Reynold for the endorsement in a post on X that included video of some of her remarks from Monday.
Thank you, Gov. @KimReynoldsIA.
We will reverse the decline of this country — and it all starts in Iowa. pic.twitter.com/FFeoHZGPyi
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) November 7, 2023
“Ron DeSantis is without a doubt the person that we need leading this country,” Reynolds said.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.