Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has been criticized for requesting federal aid in the wake of the tornadoes that ripped through the state despite previously speaking out against the “meddling hand of big government.”
Sanders’ plea for help has led to accusations of hypocrisy. During her gubernatorial campaign, she said she was running to defend the “right to be free of socialism and tyranny.”
A spokesperson for the governor hit back at her critics, telling Newsweek they were using “a time of tragedy to score political points.”
On Saturday, Sanders’ office said the governor had spoken with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell to discuss the state and federal response to the tornadoes. FEMA has since confirmed that Criswell will be traveling to Arkansas on Sunday to survey the tornado damage.
Sanders has also spoken with Joe Biden, with the president telling the governor that the federal government “stands ready to assist” the people of Arkansas following the severe weather which has left at least five people dead and dozens more injured.
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Social media users have also pointed to a tweet Sanders sent in January after entering office stating that as governor of Arkansas, the “meddling hand of big government creeping down from Washington D.C. will be stopped cold at the Mississippi River.”
While sharing a screengrab of Sanders’ January post, Mark Jacob, author and former editor of The Chicago Tribune, tweeted: “The federal government will help Arkansas recover from today’s devastating tornadoes, as well it should. But I couldn’t help recalling Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ divisive tweet from January in which she refused to see Americans as one people.”
Comedian and actor Gabe Sachez wrote: “So, does this mean that Sarah Huckabee Sanders will be accepting help from ‘the meddling hand of big government’?”
Lindy Li, a political commentator, and Democratic National Committee member tweeted: “Sarah Huckabee Sanders blasted socialism. Now she’s begging for aid.
“Bankers blasted socialism. Now they’re begging for bailouts. Marjorie Taylor Greene blasted socialism. She got $183,504 in PPP money. Republicans are ALWAYS about privatizing the profits & socializing the losses.”
In a viral tweet alongside a picture of Sanders, the Turn Texas Blue campaign group wrote: “Thursday: I will end Socialism in Arkansas. Friday: Tornado. Saturday: I need Federal Assistance.”
When reached for comment on the criticism, Sanders’ spokeswoman Alexa Henning told Newsweek: “The Governor spent all day yesterday with Arkansans who have been affected by this tornado and who have lost nearly everything. She promised she would do whatever they needed to aid with recovery and rebuilding.
“I won’t respond to petty internet trolls who are using a time of tragedy to score political points.”
Others also suggested the criticism is unjustified and that Sanders is right to request help for the people of Arkansas in the wake of a natural disaster.
“Do citizens of Arkansas pay federal income taxes that fund FEMA?” Twitter user Rich Newton wrote in reply to Turn Texas Blue’s post.
“Federal Assistance for Natural Disasters is NOT socialism,” added another social media user. “It is our duty as citizens to care for each other in hard times and Government is the apparatus to deliver that promise.”
Sanders, former White House press secretary in the Donald Trump administration, has declared a state of emergency in Arkansas after the devastating tornadoes swept through the state and she has also activated the Arkansas National Guard to assist the police.
“Arkansans are tough. Arkansans are resilient,” Sanders tweeted on Saturday. “I spoke with those who embody the strong, determined spirit of Arkansas today.
“Together, we will recover and we will rebuild even stronger than before.”
Elsewhere, former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson, who preceded Sanders in office, has confirmed that he will be running for president in 2024,
Hutchinson has now joined Trump, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy as the confirmed candidates in the GOP presidential primary, with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also expected to announce his 2024 bid in the coming weeks.
