LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – President Donald Trump threw his full support behind Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Sunday, delivering a ringing endorsement for her 2026 re-election bid in a Truth Social post that praised her as a fierce defender of Arkansas values and America First priorities.
“Sarah Huckabee Sanders is doing an incredible job as Governor of Arkansas, a State I love and WON BIG in 2016, 2020, and 2024!” Trump wrote, harking back to his landslide victories in the Natural State. He highlighted Sanders’ tenure as his White House press secretary, where she “strongly advocated for our America First Agenda,” and lauded her current work to “Protect Arkansas Values, Grow the Economy, Champion our Amazing Farmers and Ranchers, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Cut Taxes and Regulations, Advance American Energy DOMINANCE, Keep our now very Secure Border, SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Support our Brave Military, Veterans, and Law Enforcement, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment.”
Wrapping up with his signature flair, Trump declared: “Sarah Huckabee Sanders has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election — SHE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!”
Sanders, who served as Trump’s press secretary from 2017 to 2019 before winning the governorship in 2022 as the state’s first female chief executive, responded swiftly on X (formerly Twitter). “Thank you, President @realDonaldTrump! It’s an honor to have your endorsement, and Arkansas stands with you in the fight to Make America Great Again!” she posted, sharing a photo of the two together.
The endorsement comes at a pivotal moment for Sanders, who is early in her term but already eyeing a second stint amid a national landscape where GOP governors aligned with Trump hold sway in red strongholds. Arkansas Republicans, fresh off Trump’s 2024 sweep, view her as a lock for renomination in the May 2026 primary, with the general election in November pitting her against a yet-to-emerge Democratic challenger.
Political observers in Little Rock see the nod as more than ceremonial—it’s a seal of approval from the party’s kingmaker, potentially unlocking fundraising streams and volunteer armies from Trump’s orbit. “In a state as red as Arkansas, this is rocket fuel,” said John Brummett, a longtime columnist for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. “Sanders has been Trump’s loyal soldier since day one; this just cements her as the heir apparent for bigger things down the road.”
Sanders’ office emphasized the mutual loyalty, noting her recent actions like directing $500,000 in state aid to food banks during the federal shutdown and pushing education reforms through the LEARNS Act. Trump, back in the White House, has leaned on governors like Sanders for state-level implementation of his agenda, from border security to energy deregulation.
For Arkansas voters, the endorsement underscores the enduring Trump-Sanders alliance that propelled her to victory over Democrat Chris Jones two years ago by 18 points. As the 2026 cycle heats up, it’s a reminder that in the Razorback State, loyalty to the MAGA movement remains the ultimate ballot box gold.
