Amash praises Sanford’s possible primary challenge to Trump

Rep. Justin Amash (Mich.) spoke favorably of a potential primary challenge to President Trump by former Rep. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.) Wednesday, telling CNN Sanford would be “a great candidate.”

“I know Mark. He’s thoughtful, he’s humble, he’s learned from his mistakes and grown, and I think we really need a person like that in the White House,” Amash, who announced on July 4 that he would leave the GOP, told the network.

“My perspective is that the party is lost for quite a while and that this party system is corrosive, and I don’t think it can be redeemed anytime soon,” Amash added. “But it’s good to have voices out there. And the more voices you have, the more likely a miracle could happen.”

Amash, who has refused to rule out a third-party presidential run, told CNN he remained more focused on his own district, and said he would not run as Sanford’s running mate. “I don’t want to get involved in the Republican primary in that way,” he said, according to CNN.

Sanford told the Charleston Post & Courier earlier this week he was considering a primary challenge to Trump in 2020.

“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 paper.

Sanford lost a primary challenge from state Rep. Katie Arrington (R) in 2018 after Trump endorsed Arrington and tweeted that Sanford, a frequent critic of the president, had been “very unhelpful” and “nothing but trouble.” Arrington lost in the 2018 midterms to Rep. Joe Cunningham (D).