Former White House press secretary Sarah Sanders has joined Fox News as a contributor, the network announced on Thursday. It is the latest sign of the revolving door relationship between Fox and the Trump administration.
Sanders, who exited the White House in June, will make her debut before a live studio audience episode of “Fox & Friends” on September 6. She will provide political commentary across Fox News’ on-air and digital properties.
In a statement, Sanders praised Fox News and said she was “beyond proud” to join the network.
As White House press secretary, Sanders had a tenuous relationship with the press. Under her tenure, the White House effectively eliminated the daily briefing with the press.
It’s not unusual for former White House press secretaries to score gigs at cable news networks. But Sanders has considerably less credibility than previous press secretaries.
Sanders stood by President Trump as he viciously attacked the media, often lobbing her own insults at journalists. In an interview with former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigators, Sanders even admitted that she provided reporters with baseless information about the firing of former FBI Director James Comey.
Sanders is now the third former top White House communications official to join Fox after exiting the Trump administration.
Hope Hicks, the former White House communications director, joined Fox Corporation in 2018 as executive vice president and chief communications officer. And in July, Raj Shah, the former White House deputy press secretary, joined Fox Corporation as a senior vice president.
The revolving door has also worked in the opposite direction.
Bill Shine, the former co-president of Fox News, joined the White House in 2018 in a top communications role. Shine exited the White House earlier this year. Others at the network have also left their jobs at Fox to serve in the Trump administration.
The news of Sanders joining Fox News comes a day after ABC announced that Sean Spicer, her predecessor as White House press secretary, had been picked as a contestant on “Dancing With the Stars.” Spicer’s selection sparked outrage, and even angered some staffers inside ABC News.
It raises the question: How should former White House officials who misled the public be treated when they seek positions of fame and privilege?
Sanders father, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, is also a Fox News personality.
