Departing White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders is “extremely serious” about a potential Arkansas gubernatorial run, according to a report from Politico.
While Sanders has been hush-hush on future plans, Trump has emphatically and repeatedly mentioned her alleged consideration of a gubernatorial run in Arkansas.
“If we can get her to run for the governor of Arkansas, I think she’ll do very well,” the president said during a White House event in the East Room last week. “And I’m trying to get her to do that.”
Politico’s report cites “three people who have spoken to her in recent days.” They claim Sanders is “extremely serious” about running.
While Sanders and her associates have been quietly talking about the possibility for months, sometimes in jest, she has shown renewed interest in the prospect as she’s started contemplating her post-White House plans, the people said.
She is reportedly checking with friends and family in the state, but her “allies” say it is nothing out of the ordinary and does not indicate something bigger.
Politico reports:
Some of Sanders’ allies countered that she’s just checking in with longtime friends ahead of her upcoming return to the state, and they insisted that she would be making these calls whether she wanted to run for governor or not. Sanders declined to comment for this article.
Sanders has not said anything publicly on the matter as of yet.
Sanders was also in attendance at Trump’s big reelection rally in Orlando Tuesday evening. The president invited her on stage and dropped another hint about her rumored consideration of running for governor.
“A woman who has been so good, so talented, so wonderful and we’re sort of going to be losing her,” Trump said.
“But I have a feeling she’s going to be running for a certain gubernatorial position,” he added.
Sanders thanked the president for the “honor of a lifetime” and told the crowd that she looks forward to spending more time with her children.
I’m going to go spend a little time with my kids, but no one will be a stronger voice and a more fierce advocate for this president because he’s fighting for all of the people in this room and for all of the people you represent all over the country, and he’s going to have an incredible six more years to make our country as strong as it’s ever been.
“Thank you so much, Mr. President,” she added.