Sarah Sanders Fires Back at Coulter: 'I Just Don’t See Her as Being an Influential Voice in This Country'
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders fired back at conservative commentator Ann Coulter after Coulter trashed President Donald Trump on Friday.
Coulter supported Trump in 2016, but has criticized the president for not getting a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border built. As reported by The Western Journal, her incendiary commentary peaked again Friday when Trump announced he was declaring a national emergency to build the wall.
Sanders went on Fox News later and was asked by host Dana Perino about the influence of Coulter and other conservative media voices — a subject that had been raised earlier in the day during the president’s question-and-answer session with the media.
“I don’t think Ann Coulter has any influence over this White House, or influence over much of anything to be honest,” Sanders said. “I don’t think she did before the president became the president, and I don’t think she does now. I just don’t see her as being an influential voice in this country, and certainly not one in this building.”
Coulter riposted with a tweet.
“Correct — and I want it memorialized. Nor did I have any influence on the captain of the Titanic, the operators of the Hindenburg or the 9/11/2001 Terrorism Prevention Team,” she wrote.
The Twitter scrum soon drew in other voices.
Earlier Friday, Trump was asked by one reporter how much “outside conservative voices” had influenced his decision to declare the emergency.
Trump praised Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham and Tucker Carlson of Fox News and conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh. He gave Coulter more extensive discussion.
“They don’t decide policy. In fact, if I went opposite — I mean, they have somebody — Ann Coulter. I don’t know her. I hardly know her. I haven’t spoken to her in way over a year. But the press loves saying ‘Ann Coulter.’ Probably, if I did speak to her, she’d be very nice. I just don’t have the time to speak to her. I would speak to her; I have nothing against her,” Trump said.
Trump then explained the only reason he liked Coulter.
“In fact, I like her for one reason: When they asked her, like right at the beginning, who was going to win the election, she said, ‘Donald Trump,'” the president said. “And the two people that asked her that question smiled. They said, ‘You’re kidding, aren’t you?’ ‘Nope. Donald Trump.'”
Trump then tried to sum up his relationship with Coulter.
“So I like her, but she’s off the reservation. But anybody that knows her understands that. But I haven’t spoken to her. I don’t follow her. I don’t talk to her. But the press loves to bring up the name ‘Ann Coulter.’ And you know what? I think she’s fine. I think she’s good. But I just don’t speak to her,” he said, according to a White House media pool report.
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