NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Presidential candidate Mark Sanford flew on a Spirit Airline flight from Baltimore to Nashville, Tennessee, on Saturday morning.
Sanford, 59, who is attempting to usurp the Republican 2020 nomination from President Trump, appeared at Politicon, which bills itself as “the unconventional political convention.”
The former South Carolina governor spent the beginning of his Spirit flight in the back of the plane because his boarding pass had another passenger’s name on it. After making sure there were enough seats, Sanford was temporarily seated in the back row. A flight attendant later offered him a seat toward the front of the plane, which he accepted.
“Money doesn’t grow on trees,” Sanford told the Washington Examiner, before adding that he has also used Megabus as a means of transportation for his campaign. Sanford also explained how fighting against government spending was a main part of his political career and how it has dictated some of his campaign decisions.
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He also said that fighting the increasing deficit, which rose to $984 billion in fiscal year 2019, was “core in his DNA” and cited his childhood as the reason behind it.
His travel arrangement stands in sharp contrast to some of the other presidential campaigns. Former Vice President Joe Biden reportedly spent nearly $1 million on private airfare during the third quarter, according to recently filed Federal Election Commission data.
Sanford appeared on a panel also featuring Joe Walsh and Bill Weld, both of whom are also vying for the Republican Party ticket.
