CIVIL WAR

Sanford: Trump Threatened to Primary Me

Freedom Caucus congressman says he was openly bullied by the White House.

Rep. Mark Sanford (R-SC) told the Charleston Post & Courier on Thursday that President Trump threatened to support a primary challenge him if he refused to back the Republican plan to repeal and replace Obamacare. According to Sanford, the president sent his budget director Mick Mulvaney to make the threat: “The president asked me to look you square in the eyes and to say that he hoped that you voted ‘no’ on this bill so he could run against you in 2018,” the congressman recalled being told. Sanford explained to the Post & Courier: “I’ve never had anyone, over my time in politics, put it to me as directly as that.” The revelation comes the same day the president tweeted an open attack on the Freedom Caucus—of which Sanford is a member—for its refusal to support Trump’s health-care law. “The Freedom Caucus will hurt the entire Republican agenda if they don't get on the team, & fast,” Trump wrote. “We must fight them, & Dems, in 2018!” The Daily Beast’s Asawin Suebsaeng reported Thursday that the president is in “a vengeful mood” against the caucus, according to White House insiders.