Inside Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ stunning transformation, from child to 41 years old
Sarah Huckabee Sanders recently celebrated her 41st birthday, and the Republican politician followed in her father’s footsteps to become the governor of Arkansas earlier this year.
But how did she transition from cheering her dad on from the sidelines to becoming one of the most well-known political figures across the country?
Let’s take a look at her stunning transformation and journey, from then to now!
The Washington Post detailed how Huckabee Sanders first announced her intentions to run for governor in 2021, posting an eight-minute video during which she said: “I took on the media, the radical left, and their ‘cancel culture,’ and I won. As governor, I will be your voice, and never let them silence you.”
Political background
Huckabee Sanders is no stranger to politics, having been exposed to it from a young age while her father, Mike Huckabee, who was the governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007.
In fact, the New York Times reported that she had spent many, many nights as a child going over poll results with her father and his political consultant. “Looking back, that was probably not the most normal thing in the world,” she recalled.
Mike Huckabee did win the 2008 Iowa caucus, and his daughter served as his manager when he announced his bid for presidency in 2016 – though, this was short lived, and Huckabee Sanders later admitted: “That didn’t go so well.”
Religious upbringing
Huckabee Sanders explained to the New York Times that she was raised a devout Christian, given that her father had been a Baptist minister prior to embarking on a career in politics.
But she has said there was one thing she made sure to keep while going on her own political journey – the religious values instilled in her by her father.
According to her, this was often difficult to juggle while serving under former POTUS Donald Trump in her role as White House Press Secretary, from 2017 to 2019. “I certainly didn’t approve of a couple of the comments. But at the same time, we were looking for a commander-in-chief, not a pastor,” she said.
“Oftentimes, people want to make politicians perfect, and that’s one of the actual beauties of Christianity, is understanding that no one is,” she said of her former boss.
Motherhood
While she was White House Press Secretary, Huckabee Sanders made history by becoming the first mother to hold the role. As a mother of three, balancing everything proved difficult at times, and she was often waking as early as 5:00am to ensure she met both her work and family commitments.
White House correspondent Brian Karem was not a fan of Huckabee Sanders’ balancing act, especially given that she tended to rely on motherhood as a way to draw in the masses and seem more relatable.
“I don’t want to hear anymore about the chaos in her home,” Karem said to the New York Times, adding: “If she tells me one more story about how three preschoolers can be more chaotic than a hundred and some odd reporters in the White House press office, I’ll even volunteer to babysit.”
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Stint at Fox News
After resigning from her role as White House Press Secretary, Huckabee Sanders began working as a contributor for Fox News. “Fox News has been the number one news organization in the country for 17 years running and I am beyond proud to join their incredible stable of on-air contributors in providing political insights and analysis,” she wrote in a statement, via Deadline.
Work with Donald Trump
Trump only had good words to say about Huckabee Sanders following her decision to step down as White House Press Secretary. In fact, he publicly encouraged her to pursue the position of governor of Arkansas.
USA Today reported how the then-President wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter): “She is a very special person with extraordinary talents, who has done an incredible job! I hope she decides to run for governor of Arkansas – she would be fantastic. Sarah, thank you for a job well done!”
After she eventually scored the job as governor of Arkansas, the Washington Post reported how Trump stated: “Sarah Huckabee Sanders is a warrior who will always fight for the people of Arkansas and do what is right, not what is politically correct. Sarah is strong on Borders, tough on Crime, and fully supports the Second Amendment and our great law enforcement officers.”
What do you think of Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ journey and transformation? Let us know in the comments!
