Gov. Sarah Sanders to deliver GOP response to State of the Union address

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders, who served as White House press secretary in the Trump administration, will deliver the Republican response to President Biden's State of the Union address, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a joint announcement Thursday.

The selection of the opposite party's response to a president's State of the Union address is typically reserved for people the party views as up-and-coming leaders.

Mr. Biden is set to deliver his address Tuesday night, and it's expected to reflect on the accomplishments of his first two years in office.

McCarthy also announced Thursday that Rep. Juan Ciscomani of Arizona will deliver the Republican response in Spanish.

Sanders said in a statement that Republicans are "ready to begin a new chapter in the story of America — to be written by a new generation of leaders ready to defend our freedom against the radical left and expand access to quality education, jobs, and opportunity for all."

McCarthy and McConnell both noted that Sanders is youngest governor in America. McCarthy said she's bringing "new ideas for a changing future, while also applying the wisdom of the past," and added that everyone, including Mr. Biden, should "listen carefully" to her.

"Americans are still struggling from inflation, a border crisis, record crime, and a failing school system," McCarthy said in a statement. "As House Republicans work to fix these problems in Congress with our Commitment to America, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders is addressing them head-on with her conservative agenda outside of Washington."

McConnell called Sanders a "powerful advocate for the popular, commonsense conservative principles that will put our country back on a better course."

Sanders was elected in November as Arkansas' first female governor in history. A close ally of Trump, and frequently considered his most effective press secretary, Sanders has a long history in the political world. Her father, Mike Huckabee, is also a former Arkansas Republican governor who ran for president twice.

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