The press secretary-turned-governor was a polarizing figure during her tenure behind the White House Briefing Room podium, where she often sparred with the Washington press corps while defending then-President Donald Trump amidst the controversy and scandal of his administration.
Sanders herself finally found herself embroiled in controversy in 2019, when a report released by special counsel Robert Mueller revealed that the press secretary admitted to misleading reporters during a 2017 briefing discussing Trump’s decision to fire FBI director James Comey. Sanders said at that briefing that “the FBI rank and file had lost trust in their director” and that the Trump White House had heard from “countless members of the FBI” that they had lost trust in Comey. In her report, Mueller’s team said Sanders admitted that those «comments were not based on anything.»
Sanders will deliver his address from Little Rock next Tuesday after Biden finishes his address to a joint session of Congress. In a statement, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said everyone should listen to the speech, «including President Biden.»
“She is a servant leader of true determination and conviction,” McCarthy said. «I am delighted that Sarah will share her extraordinary story and her bold vision for a better America on Tuesday.»