Trump congratulates Sanford challenger for win in SC

“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,” Trump wrote in a tweet. “Congrats to Katie Arrington!”

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

{mosads}

Sanford, a former South Carolina governor who has served in the House since 2013, was defeated on Tuesday by Arrington in a primary contest that was widely seen as a referendum on his criticism of Trump. 

Sanford has been among Trump’s most vocal GOP critics in Congress. In turn, Arrington sought to cast the three-term congressman as a traitor who was opposed to the president’s agenda.

Trump offered his endorsement to Arrington on Tuesday afternoon, saying that Sanford had been “very unhelpful” and was “better off in Argentina” — a reference to a 2009 trip the then-governor had taken to Argentina to visit a woman with whom he was having an affair. 

“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,” Trump tweeted. “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!”

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