Coming from a prestigious political family and working her way up to Governor of Arkansas, Sarah Huckabee Sanders continues to make history with her political career. Straddling the world of running her home state and running her household, Sarah has her hands full thanks to her husband Bryan Sanders, and their three children, Scarlett Sanders, George Sanders, and William Sanders. While Sarah's relationship with her children might appear to fold nicely into her life mixing career and family, her relationship with her husband has been
telling a different story.
There's been signs that Sarah's marriage to Bryan is on the rocks, though the couple both appear to support each other publicly. But poking under the veneer of their very polished presentation of a perfect family and couple, there's some strange details. Of course, any couple in the spotlight will have elements of self-preservation, and Sarah and Bryan are no different, but it is odd that the two seem to continue to treat each other like business partners. There's been a pattern of Sarah hiring Bryan for political purposes, as well as some strained distance while her career takes off, which means there's plenty of odd facets within their marriage.
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Sarah Huckabee Sanders Hired Bryan Sanders For Her Father's Campaign
The story of how Sarah Huckabee Sanders and husband Bryan Sanders first met is fairly widely known — in 2008, she hired him to work on her father's presidential campaign. Sarah has a close relationship with her father Mike Huckabee and it makes sense that she'd hold hiring and firing power for his campaign, especially considering she helped lead him to a tiny win in Iowa before eventually dropping out of the race. However, Sarah did make things a bit awkward when she later admitted to The Hill in 2010 that part of her desire to hire Bryan was that she found him "kind of cute." Although Sarah had a boyfriend at the time, it didn't stop her and Bryan from getting close while working on the campaign together. This ultimately led to Bryan exhibiting some bold but strange behavior.
According to an interview Bryan gave the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, he admitted that, "Sarah was not only my boss, we worked for her dad." That could really complicate things, especially new romance. Bryan divulged that during a night out on the campaign trail he told Sarah, "This is happening. You need to break up with him." As if telling someone to break up with their boyfriend wasn't weird enough, it could have also put his job in jeopardy. "I wasn't sure if I still had a job, but sure enough she broke up with her boyfriend," Bryan mused.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders' Time In Donald Trump's Administration Was Hard On Them
Sarah Huckabee Sanders joined Donald Trump's first administration in 2017 as White House press secretary, replacing the beleaguered Sean Spicer. While Sarah diligently performed her duties of combating journalist's questions, Bryan Sanders found the distance between him and his wife to be a bit "challenging at times," according to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. "My responsibility is to protect my wife," Bryan said, "but when you're in politics it's an extremely ... mean business." Bryan admitted it difficult to stand by while Sarah was getting torn to shreds by those who struggled with her role within Trump's administration. "It was hard to not be able to, as her husband, intervene," Bryan divulged.
This desire to defend his wife's honor popped up more than once. According to Politico, though it led to many controversies for Sarah, Bryan defended his wife's decision to join the Trump White House. "All I know is that Sarah is never going to do anything that violates her conscience," Bryan said of his wife's time as press secretary. Eventually, Sarah did leave her position in Trump's administration, which was most likely a relief for her husband, knowing that he wouldn't have to fight the urge to come to her aid. However, this over protective husband schtick coupled with the fact he demanded she break up with her ex boyfriend so they could date is giving controlling vibes.
Their Marriage Feels More Like A Business Strategy
After Sarah Huckabee Sanders left the White House, she began a new chapter of her career. In short succession, she ran for Governor of Arkansas and won. Bryan Sanders told the Arkansas Democrat Gazette that he never doubted she would win, "not just as her husband, but as a political strategist." It's an odd reminder that their personal and professional lives intertwine so closely. While it's never a bad thing to share common interests with a spouse, it is interesting that Bryan can't seem to untangle his background as a political analyst and his role as a supportive partner.
It's this approach to their marriage that makes it come across as slightly transactional. Sure, they can put their heads together and come up with a winning political strategy, but that's not something most couples bring to the dinner table. Although, it is clear that they're both career motivated. Sarah has even admitted to possibly investing too much time away from family by having such an illustrious career. When asked by Time what she'd be doing if she weren't in politics, Sarah answered, "Spending more time with my husband and less time on my Blackberry." Perhaps she's lucky to have a husband who also feels like a business partner, as it means he doesn't appear jealous of how invested she is in her job. It also has provided job opportunities for Bryan as well, which could be seen as a perk.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders Hired Bryan Sanders To Her Administration
Sarah Huckabee Sanders hiring Bryan Sanders seems to be a bit of a trend. While Bryan and Sarah's marriage is full of unique situations, the fact that she keeps placing him in positions where she can fire him is strange. According to Talk Business & Politics, Sarah placed Bryan as head of the Natural State Advisory Council with the intent to help bolster the tourism industry for Arkansas. If it wasn't odd enough that she hired her husband yet again, it's also a volunteer job with no salary — meaning she's given her husband an unpaid position.
Bryan seems to enjoy the gig, especially since it afforded him the publicity stunt opportunity of visiting all 52 of Arkansas's State Parks. Proving to be a good business partner, Bryan did help broker some deals that have helped the state. Once again, Bryan's willingness to support his wife in such a way does give the air of their relationship feeling like a business rather than a romantic marriage, although it seems to be working for them. The two continue to boast a united front and it seems they enjoy working together in their own unique ways — even though it does mean that Sarah can fire him at any time.
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