By Jonathan Lemire
and Catherine Lucey
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON-New White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was schooled in hardscrabble politics-and down-home rhetoric-from a young age by her father, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
Her way with a zinger-and her unshakable loyalty to an often unpredictable boss-are big reasons why she became a rising star in President Donald Trump's orbit. She'll take over for Sean Spicer, who abruptly announced Friday that he's resigning.
Sanders steps into what has been deemed the most difficult job in Washington. Her responsibilities are not just to do combat with a feisty White House press corps but to try to please a mercurial president who fancies himself his own best spokesman.
Trump often presents his own thoughts directly on Twitter in the early hours of the morning and is known to closely follow his surrogates on television, assessing their performances. He has been happy with Sanders' advocacy, says Kellyanne Conway, a counselor to the president.
"She understands America. She understands the president. And she understands how to connect the two," Conway told The Associated Press in March. "The president has a great deal of trust in Sarah."