"My friend Sarah Huckabee Sanders did a tremendous job Tuesday evening speaking to the reality that hardworking parents and families are facing across our country," Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., told Fox News Digital. "This was a stark contrast to President Biden, who used his State of the Union Address to pop champagne and gaslight the American people."
"Governor Sanders strongly outlined the contrasting visions between Republicans and Biden Democrats — freedom vs. dependence, opportunity vs. entitlement, common sense vs. fantasy land," she added. "It's time for a new generation of leaders to step up and be the change we want to see. Together we will preserve the American Dream for generations to come."
Sarah Huckabee Sanders, governor of Arkansas, speaks while unveiling the Arkansas LEARNS education bill at the Arkansas State Capitol in Little Rock, Arkansas, US, on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy posted a photo of himself on Twitter watching Sanders deliver the rebuttal, declaring she "knocked it out of the park," and that her speech showed a "clear" difference in what Republicans were offering the country compared to Biden's "fearmongering."
"Congratulations to [Sarah Sanders] on a powerful rebuttal. You crushed it! #StrongWomen," former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who is expected to launch a presidential bid next week, also wrote on Twitter.
Annie Dickerson, who leads the conservative women's advocacy group Winning for Women, told Fox that Sanders "put forward an optimistic vision for all Americans."
SARAH SANDERS' SLAM DUNK. CHOICE NOW BETWEEN ‘NORMAL OR CRAZY’ AND PARENTS MUST STAND UP
"As the youngest governor in the nation and a mother to young children, I was proud to see her offer clear and desperately needed leadership tonight. We need more of these common sense policies that lift up working families across the country," she said.
Nikki Haley visits "Hannity" at Fox News Channel Studios on January 20, 2023 in New York City. (Theo Wargo/Getty Images)
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., told Fox that Sanders did a "tremendous job," and described her as someone "who will never surrender to the woke mob."
"She represents our next generation of strong conservative women that are unafraid to stand for freedom and against tyranny," she said.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, joined Fox's "Hannity" immediately following the rebuttal and said he thought Sanders did "a terrific job." He added that Sanders' speech was "a sharp contrast to a State of the Union speech that I thought was divisive, it was angry, it was out of touch, and it was fundamentally dishonest."
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"Sarah Huckabee Sanders' response offered a distinct choice between left-wing radicalism and sensible conservatism," House Majority Whip Tom Emmer told Fox.
"Republicans are focused on securing our fundamental freedoms and addressing kitchen table issues, while Joe Biden continues to tout Democrats' tone-deaf policies and take victory laps as Americans are struggling," he added.
Representative Tom Emmer, a Republican from Minnesota, speaks during a news conference in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Democrats, however, weren't as pleased with Sanders' rebuttal as some sharply criticized her following the speech.
"While [Sarah Sanders] touts public safety, here is what she skips over: Arkansas has one of the highest murder rates in the nation," Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted, while White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dismissed Sanders' response as an attempt to stir up "fake conspiracies."
Sanders, who served as White House press secretary under former President Donald Trump, never held elected office prior to being elected as Arkansas' governor. She is also the daughter of the state's former Republican Gov. Mike Huckabee.