Backlash ensued after Fox News announced they signed former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders to become a contributor for the network on Thursday.
Sanders, who was press secretary from July 2017 through June 2019, will make her debut on Fox & Friends during its next live audience show on Sept. 6.
“Fox News has been the number one news organization in the country for 17 years running and I am beyond proud to join their incredible stable of on-air contributors in providing political insights and analysis,” Sanders said.
The network’s addition was not well-received by everyone, with a number of people on social media calling her a “liar,” and others pointing out that she’s not the first person to go from the White House to the network or vice versa.
Former White House communications director Hope Hicks and former deputy press secretary Raj Shah are among a litany of former administration officials whom Fox Corporation now employs in some capacity.
Others who went from the network to the White House include current White House communications director Bill Shine and predecessor Anthony Scaramucci, as well as Heather Nauert, who is acting undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, but was nominated to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Despite the claim that there’s a “revolving door” between the two institutions, which gained traction on social media, it is not uncommon for former press secretaries to join the cable news networks.
Joe Lockhart, Ari Fleischer, and Jay Carney all went to CNN, while Sanders, Dana Perino, and Fleischer have spent time or will spend time at Fox News. Robert Gibbs and Josh Earnest went on to join MSNBC.
Of course Sarah Huckabee Sanders is joining Fox News — she was already effectively a Fox contributor.
In fact, Sanders was on Fox News at least 67 times since August 2017.https://t.co/3L5aDvC4WY
— Media Matters (@mmfa) August 22, 2019
Sarah Sanders can now change her resume from LIAR (2017 – 2019) to LIAR (2017 – ).
— Jeremy Newberger (@jeremynewberger) August 22, 2019
It’s not a revolving door. It’s a supersonic chute. https://t.co/Jld4EfWs9T
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) August 22, 2019
Having proved her ability to utter the most shamelessly ridiculous lies while looking into a camera and not sticking her thumbs up her nostrils and shrieking, “You actually believe this BS? GOO GOO GA GA!”, @SarahHuckabee to join Fox “News.” https://t.co/5DPiPNVhAp
— Steve Silberman (@stevesilberman) August 22, 2019
With her new gig at Fox News, Sarah Sanders can seek joke-writing help from her dad and insider thoughts on dog murdering stories from her brother.
— Rex Huppke (@RexHuppke) August 22, 2019
In related news, Sarah Huckabee Sanders lies all the time, so well done Fox News.
Just a sampling of the lies she told as White House press secretary: https://t.co/xRLxukhcms https://t.co/2B1QQzni5d
— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) August 22, 2019
