MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD) – Donald Trump may have some local competition in the 2020 race for president.
Former South Carolina Governor and U.S. Representative Mark Sanford is contemplating a possible run for the Republican nomination for president in 2020.
Sanford has been outspoken against Donald Trump in the past. Once over the fight to stop offshore drilling and again to blast the president over tariffs. “Increased tariffs have proved themselves to sound great but set countries on a financial road to ruin,” he said in January 2018. “This is shortsighted and will cost American jobs.”
Many believe Sanford’s outspokenness led to the first loss of his political career to former SC01 candidate Katie Arrington in the 2018 midterm election.
For now, Sanford said he will explore the run for the executive office against President Trump in the next month, but said he is not sure yet if that is the best way to fight on the issues.
“We will spend more on interest than we do on our national defense bill in just three years,” he said during an interview. “Nobody is talking about it. So, we’ll talk about national security issues but leave out what Admiral Mike Mullen the former chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff described as the biggest national security threat which is the debt and deficit. So, it’s a second for me, because again, I’m not sure that a presidential run is the way. Maybe it is starting an advocacy group.”
Not everyone thinks Sanford’s plan is a great idea. Drew McKissick, chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party, released a statement saying: “The last time Mark Sanford had an idea this dumb, it killed his Governorship. This makes about as much sense as that trip up the Appalachian trail.”
What will the future hold for Mark Sanford’s potential run for president? You can count on us to follow this story.
