Rep. Mark Sanford, R-S.C., lost his Tuesday GOP primary to challenger Katie Arrington, hours after President Trump tweeted that he should be defeated.
Sanford’s 2013 election to Congress represented a political comeback for him after an extramarital affair derailed his governorship. He emerged as a strong fiscal conservative, but Arrington’s campaign highlighted his willingness to go against Trump — seen by local Republicans as his one vulnerability.
It wasn’t until a few hours before the polls closed Tuesday that Trump, fresh from a summit with North Korea in Singapore, decided to exploit it himself.
“Mark Sanford has been very unhelpful to me in my campaign to MAGA,” Trump tweeted. “He is MIA and nothing but trouble. He is better off in Argentina.” He then endorsed Arrington.
Mark Sanford has been very unhelpful to me in my campaign to MAGA. He is MIA and nothing but trouble. He is better off in Argentina. I fully endorse Katie Arrington for Congress in SC, a state I love. She is tough on crime and will continue our fight to lower taxes. VOTE Katie!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 12, 2018
“Argentina” is a reference to Sanford’s mistress during his governorship. Arrington has also slyly mentioned Sanford’s alibi for being missing from the state while visiting her — he was said to be hiking the Appalachian trail — by quipping in an ad that it is time for him to more permanently “take a hike.”
Trump has mostly refrained from endorsing against Republican incumbents ahead of the midterm elections. He has occasionally undercut ineffectual “MAGA” candidates after Roy Moore lost an Alabama Senate seat that would have been winnable by virtually any other Republican.
The president managed to reverse any momentum Don Blankenship had in the race for West Virginia’s Republican senatorial nomination. Even without getting involved, Rep. Martha Roby, R-Ala., was forced into a runoff for being insufficiently pro-Trump. Trump acolyte Corey Stewart won Virginia’s Republican primary for Senate Tuesday night.
Sens. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and Bob Corker, R-Tenn., both retired rather than face Republican voters after sparring with Trump. Sanford is now the latest casualty.
Not all went according to Trump’s plan in South Carolina, however. The president endorsed Gov. Henry McMaster for a full term. While McMaster finished first, he will face a runoff on June 26.
