Former South Carolina Republican Rep. Mark Sanford publicly announced that he is mulling a potential 2020 run against President Trump.
“Sometimes in life you’ve got to say what you’ve got to say, whether there’s an audience or not for that message,” Sanford told the Post & Courier Tuesday. “I feel convicted.”
“I’m a Republican. I think the Republican Party has lost its way on debt, spending and financial matters,” he added.
Sanford lost in a primary against Katie Arrington in June after Trump publicly backed Arrington on the day of the primary. Trump’s decision to back Sanford’s challenger came after the incumbent criticized the president.
My political representatives didn’t want me to get involved in the Mark Sanford primary thinking that Sanford would easily win – but with a few hours left I felt that Katie was such a good candidate, and Sanford was so bad, I had to give it a shot. Congrats to Katie Arrington!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 13, 2018
“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!” Trump tweeted on the day of the primary.
Then a day later he tweeted, “My political representatives didn’t want me to get involved in the Mark Sanford primary thinking that Sanford would easily win – but with a few hours left I felt that Katie was such a good candidate, and Sanford was so bad, I had to give it a shot. Congrats to Katie Arrington!”
Sanford would not be the first Republican to announce their challenging Trump for the Republican nomination. Former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld announced his candidacy back in April.
