莎拉·哈克比·桑德斯吹捧她的支持来自前总统唐纳德·特朗普帮助赢得阿肯色州州长官邸，但据报道，尽管特朗普要求她在2024年竞选白宫时给予回报，但桑德斯迄今为止一直公开保持沉默。
随着竞选连任的进行，特朗普在“几周前”的一个电话中要求桑德斯支持他据纽约时报报道。据《纽约时报》报道，桑德斯回答说，她还不会这样做，此后也没有公开表态。
特朗普方面否认周日在他的真实社交媒体平台上要求她支持，称他从未要求桑德斯支持她，同时将她的政治成功归功于自己。
2018年10月9日，在华盛顿，唐纳德·特朗普总统与白宫新闻秘书萨拉·哈克比·桑德斯一起离开白宫，登上海军陆战队一号。
Olivier Douliery/法新社
特朗普说:“我给予支持，我通常不会要求他们。”张贴。“话虽如此，但没有人比我为她做得更多，可能除了她伟大的父亲迈克。”
截至周二下午，特朗普的发言人和桑德斯的办公室没有回应美国广播公司新闻的置评请求。
桑德斯是特朗普手下任职时间最长的白宫新闻秘书，她跟随父亲、前阿肯色州州长迈克·哈克比的脚步，成为美国第一个父女州长二人组。
但正是在特朗普的白宫任职推动桑德斯本人成为家喻户晓的名字。
一些特朗普最热情的支持者，如史蒂夫·班农，正在质疑为什么特朗普没有看到更多的支持。班农和桑德斯在特朗普的白宫一起工作，直到他在2017年8月被解除首席策略师的职务。
“莎拉...你在听吗?”他在他的播客"作战室"
在一个采访今年1月，在“福克斯新闻频道周日”节目中，桑德斯拒绝了支持川普的机会，并表示她的重点是为阿肯色州服务，而不是2024年。
“我现在的重点是2022年，赢得冠军选举在11月份，正如我在过去一周所做的那样，为交接做准备，为就职做准备。我爱总统。我和他关系很好。我知道，如果他现在在位，而不是乔·拜登，我们的国家会好得多。我的重点不在2024年。"
阿肯色州议会预计将于周二通过桑德斯具有里程碑意义的立法《学习法案》(LEARNS Act)，该法案模仿了佛罗里达州州长罗恩·德桑蒂斯(Ron DeSantis)制定的教育政策的元素，德桑蒂斯被认为是特朗普在2024年最接近的竞争对手。桑德斯还选择了德桑蒂斯的教育部长雅各布·奥利瓦(Jacob Oliva)将佛罗里达州的计划带到阿肯色州，因为不清楚她是否会等待另一位候选人的支持。
据安介绍Axios报告周二，桑德斯是特朗普目前考虑作为副总统人选的四名女性之一。其他人包括南达科他州州长克里斯蒂·诺姆，前联合国大使和南卡罗来纳州州长。妮基·黑利特朗普宣布的挑战者中最高调的一位，以及尚未在亚利桑那州州长竞选中认输的卡莉·莱克。
Sarah Huckabee Sanders reportedly declined to endorse Trump
Sarah Huckabee Sanderstouted her endorsementfrom former PresidentDonald Trumpto help win the Arkansas governor's mansion, but although Trump reportedly has asked her to return the favor for his 2024 White House bid, Sanders so far has kept publicly silent.
With his reelection bid underway, Trump asked Sanders for her endorsement in a phone call "weeks ago,"according to the New York Times. The Times reported Sanders replied she wouldn't yet do so and hasn't weighed in publicly since.
Trump, for his part, denied asking for her endorsement on Sunday on his Truth Social media platform, saying he never asked Sanders for her endorsement, while taking credit for her political success.
"I give endorsements, I don't generally ask for them," Trumpposted. "With that being said, nobody has done more for her than I have, with the possible exception of her great father, Mike."
Trump's spokesperson and Sanders' office had not responded to ABC News' requests for comment as of Tuesday afternoon.
Sanders, the longest-serving White House press secretary under Trump, followed in the footsteps of her father, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, to become the first father-daughter governor duo in the nation.
But it was serving in Trump's White House that propelled Sanders to become a household name herself.
Some of Trump's most enthusiastic supporters, such as Steve Bannon, are questioning why Trump hadn't seen more endorsements. Bannon and Sanders worked together in Trump's White House until he was removed from his position as chief strategist in Aug. 2017.
"Sarah ... are you listening?" he said on hispodcast"The War Room."
In aninterviewin January on "Fox News Sunday," Sanders declined the opportunity to endorse Trump and said her focus was on serving Arkansas, not 2024.
"My focus right now has been on 2022, winning theelectionin November, preparing through transition and getting ready to take office, as I did this past week. I love the president. I have a great relationship with him. I know our country will be infinitely better off if he was in office right now instead of Joe Biden," Sanders said. "My focus isn't on 2024."
The Arkansas state legislature on Tuesday is expected to pass Sanders' landmark legislation, the LEARNS Act, which imitates elements of Florida's education policy enacted under Gov. Ron DeSantis -- thought to be Trump's closest competitor in 2024. Sanders also tapped DeSantis' education secretary Jacob Oliva to bring Florida's plan to Arkansas as it's unclear if she could be waiting for another candidate to endorse.
According to anAxios reporton Tuesday, Sanders is among four women Trump is currently considering as vice presidential pick. The others include South Dakota Kristi Noem, Gov. former U.N. Ambassador and South Carolina Gov.Nikki Haley, the most high-profile of Trump's announced challengers, and Kari Lake, who has not conceded the race for Arizona governor.
