Trump tries to use Mark Sanford's infidelity to make fun of him, fails

(Image credit: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)

published 26 June 2018

President Trump attempted to insult Rep. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.) on Monday, but failed to stick the landing.

Geography got in the way of his barb, delivered during a rally Monday in South Carolina in support of Gov. Henry McMaster (R). Trump has been making snarky comments about Sanford for weeks now, having mocked him earlier this month during a private meeting with House Republicans. During the rally, Trump decided to take a shot at Sanford's 2009 extramarital affair, saying, "The Tallahassee Trail — must be a beautiful place. Unfortunately, he didn't go there."

For those who just said, "Huh?" Trump was referring to the fact that for about a week in June 2009, Sanford, then the governor, was MIA. Later, Sanford admitted he was in Argentina, spending time with a woman he was having an affair with, but his spokesperson tried to offer him cover by saying he was hiking the Appalachian Trail, which, points for creativity. Two weeks ago, Sanford, who has been critical of Trump, lost the GOP primary for his congressional district, so he'll have plenty of time to walk whatever trail he wants.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.