On June 3, 2019, I departed Joint Base Andrews–Naval Air Facility on Air Force One with the president as part of the official US delegation on his long-anticipated state visit to the United Kingdom. It was an honor to be included in the delegation and although I’d accompanied the president on every foreign trip since the inauguration and loved them all, I was most excited about this one. A while back I’d asked Joe Hagin, deputy chief of staff for operations for President George W. Bush and President Trump, to recall the greatest trip he’d ever taken in his decade of planning foreign trips for US presidents. Without hesitation, he said the UK state visit he’d done with President Bush. “Don’t miss your chance to go with President Trump,” he said. Like most American women my age I followed the lives of the royal family and was looking forward to meeting them and getting to experience their world up close. On the trip we’d also go to Normandy to participate in the seventy-fifth anniversary of D-Day, and finish at Doonbeg, the president’s golf resort in Ireland. For White House staff, this was the most coveted foreign trip on which to join the president, by far, and I couldn’t wait.
Air Force One landed at London Stansted Airport and we went straight to Buckingham Palace for the first official greeting. The delegation arrived at the palace via motorcade while the president, first lady, and US ambassador to the UK and owner of the New York Jets Woody Johnson and his wife arrived on Marine One. As they were landing, the rest of us stood on the second floor of Buckingham Palace in the White Drawing Room, which had twenty-five-foot windows with large golden drapes opened so we could see out. I stepped out onto a balcony just off the room for a better view as the royal family of the United Kingdom—His Royal Highness Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and Her Royal Highness Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall—welcomed America’s First Family. To no one’s surprise the first lady looked stunning. She was wearing a fitted Dolce & Gabbana stark-white dress with midnight blue accents on the waist and collar and an Hervé Pierre custom-designed wide-brimmed hat. The president had on a dark blue suit and a solid light blue tie. The foursome made their way up the stairs where the Queen in her signature styled suit in aquamarine greeted them and received them into Buckingham Palace.
In Buckingham Palace we waited with British Army Major Nana Kofi Twumasi-Ankrah, a Ghanaian-born officer who fought in the Afghanistan War and was the Queen’s most trusted assistant. He went by “T.A.” for short, had a great sense of humor, and was not only an expert on the palace, but also our guide to royal protocol. He had been with our team when we came for a quick visit to the UK the year before and seeing him was like seeing an old friend. T.A. was the first black person ever appointed as the Queen’s equerry and took his job seriously. He knew most of us were nervous about breaking protocol and saying or doing something we weren’t supposed to. He put us all at ease and made us feel comfortable and welcome.
The president and first lady had a special greeting with the Queen and the royal family and then we joined together for a formal receiving line. The president introduced the Queen and the first lady introduced Prince Charles to us. We had been told not to reach out to shake the Queen’s hand unless she extended her hand first. Thankfully she reached out to take my hand as the president said, “This is Sarah Huckabee Sanders. You have probably seen her before. Everyone knows her.”
The Queen nodded and said, “I do. Nice to meet you, Sarah.”
The Queen turned to the president and said, “She is tough and does a good job.”
The first lady then came with Prince Charles. “It’s wonderful to meet you, Sarah,” he said. “You are wonderfully talented. I don’t know how you do it. I imagine it can be very challenging.”
Prince Harry was next. He was charming and gracious, making polite conversation as he made his way down the line. He remarked about how difficult the press could be.
“Hopefully they’re nicer to you than the president,” I said.
He laughed. “Unfortunately that isn’t always the case.”
After the receiving line was over the Queen walked the president and first lady through the Grand Hall where royal artifacts from the Queen’s collection were on display. The artifacts represented pieces that showed the long and strong bond between our two countries and a few things that would be of particular interest to the president. There was a historic eighteenth-century map of New York City, old photos of golfers at St. Andrews, the British copy of the Declaration of Independence, and a horse statuette that President Trump had given the Queen on his previous visit. Gifts from the president and first lady on this trip were also part of the display.
We then attended a formal lunch where I sat next to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, best known as the president of the All England Club, which Americans recognize as Wimbledon. Prince Edward presented the trophy to the Wimbledon champion and runner-up every year alongside Princess Kate, Duchess of Cambridge.
We departed Buckingham Palace and went to Westminster Abbey where Prince Andrew, Duke of York, accompanied the first couple. We were all able to tag along on the tour, and Ivanka and I got a few pictures of each other next to the side-by-side tombs of Mary, Queen of Scots, and Queen Elizabeth I, where a plaque read, REMEMBER BEFORE GOD ALL THOSE WHO DIVIDED AT THE REFORMATION BY DIFFERENT CONVICTIONS LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES FOR CHRIST AND CONSCIENCE SAKE.
While everyone was focused on the program, I stepped away to the side of the historic church where dozens of tables had been set with small votive candles, some already lit and some waiting to be lit. I stopped and with the voices from our group echoing off the walls of the church I closed my eyes and said a prayer for my family, as the president and first lady prepared to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Afterward I rushed back to my hotel to get ready for the State Dinner that night at Buckingham Palace. I put on a true-red floor-length Chiara Boni La Petite Robe evening gown with Jimmy Choo heels and had my hair pulled back in a low and loose bun. The day had already been spectacular, but that evening was something every girl dreams of. We arrived and I wasn’t sure if it was because we were having dinner at Buckingham Palace or all the royals present, but it felt to us in the US delegation like we were royalty for the night. We entered the palace and were immediately directed up the Grand Staircase, which had an elaborate all gold railing and red carpet with full-length portraits of Queen Victoria’s family covering the walls, to a holding room. Despite being told not to take too many photos, I called all nineteen of us in the room together and asked T.A. to take a group picture. Among those who joined us were the president’s adult children—Ivanka, Don Jr., Eric, and Tiffany. For reasons I still don’t understand, a lot of reporters were angry that the president’s children attended the state visit with him, despite the fact that many presidents’ children traveled and attended events with the president and first lady in previous administrations. President Trump’s family had been attacked like never before in our country’s history, but to their credit, they didn’t let the liberal critics stand in their way of joining their dad for this memorable occasion.
We were moved from the holding room to the Music Room, where most royal christenings take place, including those of Prince Charles and Prince William. It was also home to Queen Victoria’s beautiful grand piano that Condoleezza Rice played when she was there with President Bush. Here we were paired with our escort and dinner partners for the evening. My escort into the State Dinner was Prince Michael of Kent, a seventy-six-year-old first cousin of Her Majesty the Queen. I decided after only five minutes of talking to him that I was going to really like him and have fun that night. Prince Michael had a white beard and wore a full service dress accompanied with the traditional sash, and he had military service medals covering the left side of his jacket. He asked if I knew what I was doing and I said, “Not really.”
He reassured me in his thick British accent, “Not to worry, just follow my lead and you won’t go astray.”
Prince Michael then charmingly gave me a piece of advice he said someone once gave him the first time he went to one of these events: “When in doubt, just do as the royals do!”
I gripped his arm tightly and held on as we glided down the red carpeted hallway to the dinner. We were seated at a large horseshoe table big enough to accommodate about 125 people. It was one of the most elegant rooms I had ever seen. Despite its size and grandeur the dinner felt intimate. An orchestra kicked it off by playing both countries’ national anthems, followed by toasts from the Queen and President Trump. We had been told that when the Queen puts her fork down it’s a signal to everyone that the meal is over and no one should continue eating. We followed suit. As the meal ended, pipers came in from the back of the room and played. The president loved it. He was a big fan of the bagpipes and had a piper play every night at his golf club in Scotland. After dinner we went through another receiving line and thanked the Queen for having us. We then moved into the State Rooms for coffee and petits fours. All of the royal family attended. I had said hello very briefly before the dinner to Prince William and Princess Kate but hadn’t really had the chance to talk to them. It was clear everyone wanted to meet them and when I noticed Secretary Mnuchin and Ivanka visiting with them, I slipped into the conversation. Prince William and Princess Kate were both warm and hospitable, and for about ten minutes we traded funny stories about our kids. One of the big topics of the evening among our team was speculating who is taller—Ivanka or Kate? It turned out they were about the same height and standing next to the two of them was a bit intimidating. Kate’s hair that night was perfectly done, an intricate braid set low just above her shoulders, and every woman in the room wanted a closer look.
After the dinner we were all chatting and taking our final photos in the palace. I mentioned to Louise Linton, actress and wife of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, that Americans had earned our notoriety for being too loud and taking too many selfies. She threw her head back and in her thick Scottish accent said, “Well then let’s prove them right!” and we took a selfie right there in the hallway. Treasury Secretary Mnuchin had been there since day one for the president and was instrumental on tax cuts and USMCA, and Louise was always the life of the party.
The following day we stopped in at the Churchill War Rooms and had formal meetings, a press conference, and lunch with President Trump and Prime Minister Theresa May at iconic 10 Downing Street. With its unassuming black door and black brick you would have no idea that behind the door it opened up to an expansive space including the Cabinet Room, where we met with May and members of her team. As we concluded the meeting and walked across the street for the news conference, all you could see was press lining both sides and pushing each other to catch a glimpse of the president and prime minister. Prime Minister May’s communications director told me the number of press was abnormally large, in part because of President Trump’s visit, but also because May was about to resign due to her failure to move Brexit forward.
That evening the United States hosted the reciprocal dinner at the Winfield House, the US ambassador’s residence. Earlier in the trip, the Winfield House had been the site of a nasty fight between senior White House officials.
To prepare for every foreign visit we had daily operations meetings and briefings leading up to the trip itself. The UK state visit had lots of moving parts and one area of concern was that there would not be a presidential motorcade to and from most events, because the president would predominantly be traveling on Marine One. The UK security team was allowing one small staff motorcade, and based on their protocol they’d designated it for National Security Advisor John Bolton. In one of the prep briefings Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Walsh asked Bolton’s team to be sure to wait on the senior White House staff vehicles traveling to the Winfield House so they could be part of Bolton’s motorcade and avoid traffic. Bolton’s team acknowledged the request.
As he did on many of our foreign trips, Bolton had a separate agenda and often arrived and departed on a different plane because he didn’t want to travel on Air Force One with the president and his team. Bolton apparently felt too important to travel with the rest of us. It was a running joke in the White House.
As we were ready to depart for the Winfield House we loaded into a small black bus. On board were Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, Senior Advisor Stephen Miller, Senior Advisor Dan Scavino, Walsh, and me. Based on US protocol, Mnuchin, Mulvaney, and Walsh all outranked Bolton. Mnuchin, one of the highest ranking officials in government, far outranked him.
We waited at the hotel but there was no sign of Bolton or his motorcade. After a while we gave up and headed to the Winfield House to meet the president. While en route, UK police directed us to pull to the side of the road because someone was coming through. As we sat there waiting, we looked over to see who it was and sure enough here came Bolton and his motorcade. We waited and watched as Bolton sped by and left us in the dust. The discussion on the bus quickly moved from casual chitchat to how arrogant and selfish Bolton could be, not just in this moment but on a regular basis.
If anyone on the team should have merited a motorcade it was Mnuchin, but he was a team player. Bolton was a classic case of a senior White House official drunk on power, who had forgotten that nobody elected him to anything. Often Bolton acted like he was the president, pushing an agenda contrary to President Trump’s.
When we finally arrived at the Winfield House, Mick Mulvaney, typically laid back and not one to get caught up in titles or seniority, confronted Bolton and unleashed a full Irish explosion on him. He lit into him in a way I hadn’t seen him do to anyone before. Mick made clear he was the chief of staff and Bolton’s total disregard for his colleagues and common decency was unacceptable and would no longer be tolerated. “Let’s face it John,” Mick said. “You’re a f—— self-righteous, self-centered son of a b——!”
That epithet really didn’t have much to do with the motorcade, but was the culmination of months of Bolton thinking he was more important and could play by a different set of rules than the rest of the team. Bolton backed down and stormed off. The rest of us looked on and nodded in approval, proud of Mick for standing up for us. Mick even got a few high fives from officials thrilled someone had put Bolton in his place.
For the reciprocal dinner at the Winfield House, Prince Charles attended as the top representative of the royal family. When we were given our seating assignments for the dinner, I figured my seating assignment must be a mistake. I was seated at the president’s table directly next to Prince Charles. I couldn’t believe it, but was told the president made the call and insisted that I be at his table next to Prince Charles.
When I was twenty-two years old and my dad was chairman of the National Governors Association, I attended with him the annual Governors’ Dinner at the White House. George W. Bush was president and his brother Jeb was governor of Florida. I was seated next to Governor Bush and he taught me a valuable trick. Most formal dinners like this one had a place card with the menu on it. Governor Bush told me one of the best things to do with the card is to pass it around the table and have everyone seated at your table sign it, so you’d always have something to remember the evening by. I thought what better table to do it at than this one with the American president and British royalty! I knew it was a risk as it was totally against protocol, but decided it was worth a shot. I asked one of the table attendants if he had a Sharpie, and he brought one back to me. I passed it around and it eventually landed in the president’s hands. He said, “What is this?” I told him it was a way to remember the night and everyone at our table. “Is this your idea, Sarah?” I hesitated, wondering if I was going to be in trouble. “Yes, sir,” I said, deciding it was probably for the best not to mention I got the idea from Governor Jeb Bush. He took out his own Sharpie, engraved with his signature in gold, and signed the stack of cards right in the center. After he finished, he handed the stack to Prince Charles. Prince Charles picked them up but without signing set them back down on the table next to me. I was disappointed but wasn’t ready to give up yet. “Your Royal Highness,” I said. “Would you like to sign first or me?” He looked at me and smiled. He picked up the pen and signed a couple of them, including one that he took and put inside his suit jacket pocket, and then handed one to me. His signature simply said, “Charles.” I was told later by members of his staff he never signs anything. I protected that menu card all the way back home, where it now hangs framed in my office next to a picture of me, President Trump, Prime Minister May, and Prince Charles toasting each other that night.
President Trump didn’t have to put me at his table for the UK state visit. He could have put anyone more important there, but he didn’t. He picked me. He was like that more than he will ever get credit for, and it’s one of the things I loved most about the president. He gave me that seat just to make my day.
President Trump was often generous and kind when the cameras were off. Many times I witnessed the president slip a waiter, doorman, or gardener at one of his properties a $100 bill, or several, when he didn’t think anyone else was paying attention. It took him months to quit offering tips to the Secret Service agents and military valets assigned to him no matter how many times we explained to him they couldn’t legally accept gratuities!
I was once in the Oval Office dining room and the president asked me if I’d ever heard of the Christian group Point of Grace. I was pretty surprised. Not only had I heard of Point of Grace, they were friends of mine. “They have this beautiful song I heard them do on Fox & Friends this morning,” said the president. “Incredible. Really special. They have a great way about them, Sarah.” I told him they attended the same small college I had in Arkansas and performed at my wedding. He smiled. “Of course they did.” I found out later that he quietly sent them a $5,000 check because he thought more people should hear their music.
If the president really liked you, he’d go out of his way to demonstrate he cared about you. The night at Winfield House was one of those moments for me. I believe that underneath the tough image he always wanted to project in front of the cameras there was a heart that genuinely cared.
The next day we departed for Ireland, where we were scheduled to spend the next two nights at Doonbeg, the president’s golf club. I knew we’d have some downtime there, so I invited my husband to join us for his thirty-sixth birthday. I booked him on a commercial flight and set him up with a tee time to play golf at the president’s spectacular course set on cliffs over the Atlantic Ocean.
The first night, the president invited a group including my husband and me to have dinner with him and the first lady at his lodge at Doonbeg. About ten of us sat there with him and listened as he told us stories about the property. He said that during World War II an American pilot had crashed his warplane into the ocean just a few hundred yards off the beach where a little old rock house still stands on the edge of his golf course. An Irish couple was having dinner inside, and when the man at the table noticed the plane crash into the sea, he ran out to the beach, dove into the surf, and swam out to the crash site. He pulled the American pilot out of the wreckage and dragged him safely to shore. The American was badly injured and the Irish couple spent months nursing him back to health. His family back in the United States feared the worst. He had been missing for months, and was presumed dead. But the American pilot fully recovered and returned home, and he came back to Doonbeg every single year until his death more than fifty years later to celebrate Christmas in that little rock house with the Irish family who’d saved him.
After most of our table had finished their fish and chips with mushy peas—the president’s recommendation—and a pint or two of Guinness, the president told us to take a few golf carts and go explore the property at sunset. Somebody mentioned the pro shop was already closed, but he said, “Not for you it isn’t! Just tell them I said it’s okay.” He looked over at Bryan and winked at him. “It’s a romantic ride!” A group of us raced each other across the course, taking in some of the most beautiful spots along the coast. It was a blast. After dark, we went out to an old Irish pub in the town of Doonbeg and sang and danced as locals played music late into the night.
The next morning a small group of us left Doonbeg early and flew to Normandy for the seventy-fifth anniversary of D-Day. Before the ceremony began, the president was scheduled to do an interview with Fox News’s Laura Ingraham. I worked with her team and set it up to do it on-site at Normandy. The backdrop for the interview was row after row of perfectly distanced crosses marking the graves of the brave men who sacrificed their lives to save the free world. We were very tight on time because the event was set to start once the president arrived and there were thousands of people waiting. As the interview wrapped up I was disappointed that the majority of it had centered on the news of the day happening back home instead of the trip. When the interview finished, I stepped in and said, “Laura, could you please ask a few more questions about the event today and its significance?” The president didn’t seem pleased. He said, “You have never done that. We have done a lot of interviews, Sarah, and you have never once asked for it to go longer! Are you sure?”
“Yes, sir,” I said. “We are at Normandy. This is the seventy-fifth anniversary of D-Day. We need less on Adam Schiff and the Russia witch hunt and more on our fallen heroes.”
“Good. Okay, Laura,” he said. “Let’s go.”
Onstage at Normandy, the president addressed world leaders and American veterans who had fought there during WWII:
We are gathered here on Freedom’s Altar. On these shores, on these bluffs, on this day seventy-five years ago, ten thousand men shed their blood.…
Their mission is the story of an epic battle and the ferocious, eternal struggle between good and evil.… They came from the farms of a vast heartland, the streets of glowing cities, and the forges of mighty industrial towns. Before the war, many had never ventured beyond their own community. Now they had come to offer their lives half a world from home.
This beach, code-named Omaha, was defended by the Nazis with monstrous firepower, thousands and thousands of mines and spikes driven into the sand.… The GIs who boarded the landing craft that morning knew that they carried on their shoulders not just the pack of a soldier, but the fate of the world. Colonel George Taylor, whose 16th Infantry Regiment would join in the first wave, was asked: “What would happen if the Germans stopped them? What would happen?” This great American replied: “Why, the 18th Infantry is coming in right behind us. The 26th Infantry will come on too. Then there is the 2nd Infantry Division already afloat. And the 9th Division. And the 2nd Armored. And the 3rd Armored. And all the rest. Maybe the 16th won’t make it, but someone will.…”
Some who landed here pushed all the way to the center of Germany. Some threw open the gates of Nazi concentration camps to liberate Jews who had suffered the bottomless horrors of the Holocaust. And some warriors fell on other fields of battle, returning to rest on this soil for eternity … 9,388 young Americans rest beneath the white crosses and Stars of David arrayed on these beautiful grounds.… From across the Earth, Americans are drawn to this place as though it were a part of our very soul. We come not only because of what they did here. We come because of who they were.
They were young men with their entire lives before them. They were husbands who said good-bye to their young brides and took their duty as their fate. They were fathers who would never meet their infant sons and daughters because they had a job to do. And with God as their witness, they were going to get it done. They came wave after wave, without question, without hesitation, and without complaint.
More powerful than the strength of American arms was the strength of American hearts.
These men ran through the fires of hell moved by a force no weapon could destroy: the fierce patriotism of a free, proud, and sovereign people. They battled not for control and domination, but for liberty, democracy, and self-rule.
They pressed on for love of home and country—the Main Streets, the schoolyards, the churches and neighbors, the families and communities that gave us men such as these.
They were sustained by the confidence that America can do anything because we are a noble nation, with a virtuous people, praying to a righteous God.
The exceptional might came from a truly exceptional spirit. The abundance of courage came from an abundance of faith. The great deeds of an Army came from the great depths of their love.
As they confronted their fate, the Americans and the Allies placed themselves into the palm of God’s hand.
The men behind me will tell you that they are just the lucky ones. As one of them recently put it, “All the heroes are buried here.” But we know what these men did. We knew how brave they were. They came here and saved freedom, and then, they went home and showed us all what freedom is all about.
It was one of President Trump’s finest moments, and I’ll never forget it. As we returned home from the UK, Bryan and I talked more about our future. I had served in the administration for two and a half years, and on the president’s campaign for a year prior to his inauguration as well. I was torn between my love of serving the president and our country, and my love for my family and need to spend more time with our young children.
A few weeks before our trip to the UK, I’d boarded Marine One at the White House en route to Andrews. The president turned to me and out of nowhere said, “Are you running for governor of Arkansas?”
I was taken aback. We had never had this conversation before. “A lot of people have encouraged me to run, but the election isn’t for a few years,” I said. “I haven’t made a decision yet.”
“I think you definitely should,” he said. “You’d be great! I’ll endorse you right away. You will crush everyone.”
I laughed and said, “Sir, are you firing me?”
“I love it when my people do well,” he said. “I don’t want you to leave but I guess at some point I’m going to have to get used to calling you ‘Madam Governor’!”
And as quick as he brought it up, the conversation was over and we were landing at Andrews.
From that moment on, the president referred to me as “Madam Governor” in front of senators, governors, White House staff—even Prince Charles on the UK state visit. Upon our return to the United States, I knew the president and I had to finish the conversation he had started on Marine One.
It was time for our family to return home to Arkansas. Bryan and I had prayed about it and were at peace with our decision, but that didn’t make leaving the White House any easier.
I loved working for the president. The previous three and a half years had been the experience of a lifetime. I had traveled to twenty-three countries with the president on Air Force One, met with dozens of world leaders, spoken on behalf of our country on some of our most difficult days, and celebrated some of our greatest victories. I had done more than one hundred press briefings, thousands of interviews with every major outlet in the country, and for better or worse become a household name. I had the trust of the president, the senior White House staff, and my team. I was at the peak of my time in the administration and my career. The chief of staff as well as others had asked me to take on a bigger role, but instead I was choosing to walk away from it all, and for no other reason than to go home to my family. I’d meant what I said before—I loved my job, but I loved my family and being a mom more. Lots of people could be White House press secretary, but only one could be mom to my kids.
I hadn’t talked to anyone in the building about my decision. I wanted the first person outside my family to hear I was leaving to be the person who had hired me and given me this opportunity in the first place. I got up earlier than normal, worked out at home, and got my kids ready for school. Bryan and I sat down at our kitchen table with Scarlett, Huck, and George, and I said, “Mommy has some news. I’m going to tell the president today I’m leaving the White House and we’re moving home to Arkansas.” Our kids erupted in cheers, and at that moment I knew I was doing the right thing. I got in the car and headed to the office. I hadn’t been in the car more than a minute or two when my phone rang and the White House operator asked if I was available for a call from the president. He and I talked for a few minutes about a story he had read and wanted my input on. As we were wrapping up I knew this was my moment.
“Sir, can I come over this morning to the residence to talk to you?”
He paused.
“No, you can’t. I can hear it in your voice and I don’t like it. Not my Sarah. You’re going to leave me in the dust.”
“Not in the dust, sir. I just want to talk to you.”
He said he’d come down to the Oval Office early instead. I asked that it be in private and he said, “Of course. I don’t trust any of these a—— holes either.”
Not long after, I got a call from Madeleine. “The president would like to see you.”
I had made the short walk from my office down the hall to the Oval Office thousands of times, but this one was the hardest. I walked into the back dining room and closed the door behind me. The president was seated in his spot at the head of the table. He looked at me, shook his head, and said, “Lay it on me.”
I sat down and burst into tears. To my surprise, the president immediately got up and hurried out of the room. I was left there alone, wondering what on earth he was doing. The president quickly returned with a box of Kleenex in his hand and pulled me in for a hug.
“It’s going to be okay,” he said.
I explained to him how much I loved my job and how thankful I was to him.
“It’s time for me to be a better wife and a better mom, and go home to Arkansas.”
“You are going to run for governor, aren’t you?”
I laughed.
“I’m not sure yet, but I’m definitely thinking about it and I have been getting more and more encouragement to do it thanks to all your ‘Madam Governor’ talk.”
“You have nothing to worry about,” he said. “You’ll win and you’ll be great. You have to do it. I will come in and endorse you right away. I am going to tweet about it now. You need to get out there early and let people know.”
“The election isn’t for a few more years, sir. Let’s get you reelected first.”
“You need to let people know now. Just trust me, Sarah. After all, am I president or what?”
Mick Mulvaney walked in and I told him the news. He was surprised and said, “Well, that changes things. I was hoping you were going to take on comms, too. I guess I need to come up with plan B.” A few minutes later Scavino walked in and I told him. He was supportive but sad I was leaving. We had become close friends as two of the longest-serving aides to the president going back to his campaign. The president said he was ready to tweet something out. I asked him to wait because I needed to tell some more people in the building first.
I walked back to my office and shared the news with the press and communications staff, along with a few senior White House officials, including Walsh, Kudlow, and Ivanka. There were lots of hugs and tears. I was emotionally drained as I walked back to the Oval to check in with the president and Scavino and let him know it was okay to announce it now.
“Are you sure?” he asked. “You could stay.…”
“I am sure,” I said, and the president hit Send on the tweet.
“After three and a half years, our wonderful Sarah Huckabee Sanders will be leaving the White House at the end of the month and going home to the Great State of Arkansas.… She is a very special person with extraordinary talents, who has done an incredible job! I hope she decides to run for governor of Arkansas—she would be fantastic. Sarah, thank you for a job well done!”
We stood there and the president turned on the TV. “Watch this,” he said. “I bet we set a new record. Wait for it, wait for it—there it is!” His tweet about me was on Fox News as a breaking news alert. “I think you did it! That was only like twenty seconds from tweet to screen! That’s big! You’re famous, Sarah!”
“Come with me,” said the president. We walked down the colonnade together, with Jared and Ivanka behind us, to the East Room, where hundreds of people were gathered together for an event on criminal justice reform, which had been championed by Jared. Few expected it to get through Congress, but Jared almost singlehandedly made it happen. We went into the green room, where Kim Kardashian, who had partnered with the administration to promote the Second Chance Act, was waiting. The press noticed me and started taking photos of me standing against the back wall. About halfway into his remarks the president invited me to join him, and the crowd gave me a standing ovation as I walked onstage.
“And I thought maybe I’d just take a moment,” said the president. “So, at the White House—and been with me now three and a half years, before I won, before the election—is a person, a friend, a woman—a great, great magnificent person, actually—named Sarah Huckabee Sanders. And she’s very popular. She’s very popular.
“And—and she’s done an incredible job. We’ve been through a lot together, and she’s tough but she’s good. You know, you also have tough and bad, right? She’s tough and she’s good. She’s great. And she’s going to be leaving the service of her country, and she is going to be going—I guess you could say private sector, but I hope she’s going to—she comes from a great state, Arkansas. That was a state I won by a lot, so I like it, right? But we love Arkansas, and she’s going to be going back to Arkansas with her great family—her husband, who’s a fantastic guy, and her family.
“And I don’t know, folks, if we can get her to run for the governor of Arkansas, I think she’ll do very well. And I’m trying to get her to do that.
“But I just saw her in the room and I really wanted to call her up. She’s a special person, a very, very fine woman. She has been so great. She has such heart. She’s strong but with great, great heart. And I want to thank you for an outstanding job.
“Say a couple words.…”
“Thank you,” I said. “Thank you so much. I’ll try not to get emotional because I know that crying can make us look weak sometimes, right?”
The crowd laughed.
“This has been the honor of a lifetime, the opportunity of a lifetime. I couldn’t be prouder to have had the opportunity to serve my country and particularly to work for this president. He has accomplished so much in these two and a half years, and it’s truly been something I will treasure forever. It’s one of the greatest jobs I could ever have. I’ve loved every minute. Even the hard minutes, I have loved it.
“I love the president. I love the team that I’ve had the opportunity to work for. The president is surrounded by some of the most incredible and most talented people you could ever imagine. And it’s truly the most special experience.
“The only one I can think of that might top it just a little bit is the fact that I’m a mom. I have three amazing kids, and I’m going to spend a little more time with them.
“And, in the meantime, I’m going to continue to be one of the most outspoken and loyal supporters of the president and his agenda. And I know he’s going to have an incredible six more years and get a whole lot more done, like what we’re here to celebrate today.
“And I don’t want to take away from that. So I certainly want to get back to the tremendous thing that the people behind me have done.
“And thank you so much, Mr. President. It’s truly an honor.”
“Thank you, Sarah. Thank you very much. Great. Great person. Great person. Thank you, Sarah. Great.
“She’s a warrior. You guys know what warriors are, right? Yeah? You’re warriors. Huh? We’re all warriors. We have no choice. We have to be warriors in this world. But she is a warrior.”