Primary election lesson for GOP: Don't cross the president
WASHINGTON (AP) — Don't cross President Donald Trump.
That's the lesson many Republicans are drawing from Rep. Mark Sanford's surprise defeat Tuesday in his primary election in South Carolina. The victor, state Rep. Katie Arrington, repeatedly highlighted Sanford's criticism of the president.
The outcome is a cautionary tale for Republicans in Congress who try to work with Trump while also maintaining their independence. One wrong turn — or in Sanford's case, many — and they could face the wrath of a president who is quick to attack detractors as enemies, even in his own party.
"That's ultimately what the race devolved down to, which was, was I Trump enough?" Sanford told reporters on Capitol Hill.