Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY
P. 4
A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 24 June 2019
Trump's popularity could be tested if Sanders runs in 2022
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — to Arkansas later this sum- your dad," said former state
Press secretary Sarah Sand- mer. Republican Gov. Asa Rep. Jonathan Barnett, a
ers seems to be in an envi- Hutchinson, who was re- member of the Republican
able position as she leaves elected last year, is barred National Committee for the
the White House for a pos- by term limits from running state and a longtime friend
sible run for governor in her again in 2022. of the Huckabees. "Now
home state of Arkansas. Other White House officials your dad is known by you."
She has the tacit endorse- who left have remained in Political observers in Ar-
ment of a president popu- the public eye by writing kansas see little downside
lar in the state and political books and hitting the lec- in Sanders' connections to
connections that go back ture circuit, but none has Trump, who easily won the
to her dad Mike Hucka- made a high-profile run state in 2016 and whose
bee's more than 10 years for office. A Sanders can- approval rating here re-
as governor. didacy could test whether mains above his national
Since her departure was President Donald Trump figures. Once a reliably
announced this month, In this Jan. 28, 2019, file photo, White House press secretary and questions about his Democratic state, Arkan-
Sanders hasn't ruled out the Sarah Sanders speaks during a press briefing at the White House administration's credibility sas is now dominated by
possibility of a run for pub- in Washington. are political liabilities, even Republicans. The GOP
lic office when she returns in solidly Republican states. controls both chambers of
Trump has openly teased the legislature, all partisan
the prospect of Sanders statewide offices and ev-
running. "I have a feeling ery seat in its congressional
she's going to be running delegation.
for a certain gubernato- "In terms of a liftoff, in terms
rial position," Trump said at of launch, in terms of a
a rally in Florida kicking off game plan, she got major
his reelection campaign support from a president
last week. "She'd be tough, that's extremely popular in
right?" Sanders became a Arkansas," said Skip Ruther-
household name over the ford, dean of the University
past two years through her of Arkansas Clinton School
sparring with reporters who of Public Service, located
aggressively questioned next to the former presi-
her about any number of dent's library. "Among the
controversies involving the base — and that base for
president. She was regu- President Trump seems to
larly skewered by late night be growing in Arkansas —
hosts and "Saturday Night her nature to take on the
Live," which portrayed her national media is a plus for
as a dishonest loyalist to her politically right now."
Trump with an exaggerat- But three years is a long
ed southern drawl. time and a presidential
Sanders was already a election away. There's no
known quantity in Arkansas guarantee Trump will re-
before her time in Washing- main as popular in Arkan-
ton. She appeared in ads sas, or even be in office,
for her father's campaign when and if Sanders makes
for governor, managed a bid.Democrats are al-
Sen. John Boozman's 2010 ready relishing the idea
election and worked as an of a Sanders run, saying it
adviser to Sen. Tom Cot- would bring national mon-
ton's in 2014. ey and attention to a race
"I've told Sarah, it used to that may otherwise be writ-
be you were known by ten off.q
