Sarah Huckabee Sanders Makes Political Move at GOP Event in South Carolina

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders to Speak at South Carolina Event

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders is set to take the stage as the featured speaker at an event that has become a significant gathering for Republicans in South Carolina. Known for its role in shaping the GOP’s presidential nominees, South Carolina remains a crucial state in the political landscape, and Sanders has deep ties there.

Rep. Sheri Biggs of South Carolina’s 3rd District recently confirmed that Sanders will be the keynote speaker at the Salute to Liberty event scheduled for August 18 in Anderson. In an interview with The Associated Press, Biggs expressed her belief that Sanders embodies the values of the district's residents. She emphasized that Sanders represents “morals, just down-to-earth hardworking people that love the Lord and want to live in peace with their families and uphold our conservative values.”

This event provides Sanders with an opportunity to connect with a large audience of party activists—typically around 2,000 people. It also allows her to engage with a crowd that still holds President Donald Trump in high regard, despite his time in office having ended. Sanders, who served as Trump’s press secretary during his first administration, has been making waves as a potential contender for the 2028 presidential election.

Her presence in South Carolina is not new. Since her father, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, sought the 2008 GOP nomination, Sanders has been making trips to the state. Recently, she spoke at the Family Leadership Summit in Iowa, another early-voting state, where she addressed a conservative Christian group.

For years, the event was known as Rep. Jeff Duncan’s Faith & Freedom BBQ, a fundraiser for his reelection campaign. The barbecue became a platform for future presidential candidates, including then-Vice President Mike Pence, Senators Ted Cruz and Tim Scott, Marco Rubio, and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. However, the event faced a major setback after Duncan’s wife filed for divorce in 2023, citing infidelity and personal issues. Following this scandal, Duncan decided not to seek re-election, ending his eight-term tenure.

In her first political run, Biggs, a nurse practitioner and Air National Guard officer, defeated a Trump-backed primary opponent, Mark Burns, a Black pastor who had previously run for Congress twice. Biggs easily won the general election in the district, which has remained under Republican control since 1994 when Lindsey Graham, now seeking his fifth Senate term, first won it.

Six months into her first term, Biggs felt the need to create a district-unifying event that could serve as a platform for future GOP presidential candidates. “I do want people to know that I'm here to serve this district, and that means making myself available and being out front and accessible to our voters, and hearing their needs,” she said. “I'm here to serve the district, and that doesn't just mean everybody who voted for me.”

Biggs’ event will have some familiar elements, such as being held at the same venue as Duncan’s barbecue, a civics center in Anderson, and offering $1 tickets for law enforcement officers and first responders. However, the menu will differ from the traditional buffet line of barbecue, baked beans, and rolls. Instead, Biggs plans to offer a catered, sit-down dinner. “It’s not so much that I don’t think the barbecue was great, I just want my own identity,” she said. “I want people to realize that it’s a new ballgame, and I want to move forward on my own accord.”