Representative Mark Sanford (R-SC) is leaving the House of Representatives after being defeated by another Republican, Katie Arrington, in the primaries. It was Sanford’s only loss, but what a powerful one. Then, Arrington lost to Democratic Joe Cunningham in the midterm elections. That left Sanford finally free to loosen his tongue against Donald Trump at last, and this farewell message included a dire warning.
Of course, Sanford was not the only one to speak out against the president once they were leaving the House or the Senate, but his message was especially chilling. He spent eight years as governor of his state. Then, he held office in Congress for another 11 years.
Sanford sent out a Facebook post to make certain that people knew what he meant:
‘I want to be clear and explicit that I am not likening Trump to Hitler, but the forces at play could lead to a future Hitler-like character if we don’t watch out.’
He continued with his own take on Benjamin Franklin:
‘…he who trades his freedom for security, deserves neither. Indeed, how true.’
Sanford’s congressional farewell message was nearly 4,000 words long, and it was filled with what the The Post and Carrier Palmetto Politics called “the growing political decay in the era of President Donald Trump.”
Although his comments about Trump are but a small portion of his message, they are distressing:
‘I hope that Christmas Day was great for you, family, and friends. Happy Post-Christmas, and before long, it will be Happy New Year!
‘I’ve embedded below text from the genesis of what would have been my farewell address on the House floor. As it turned out, last week was chaotic and the time that I have reserved on the floor got washed out with all the upheaval that Thursday delivered in Washington.
‘Take a look below, and know that it has but two main messages:…’
Sanford hoped to leave the House better than he found it, which was impossible under the circumstances. He primarily wanted to thank his colleagues and staffers in the House and his former wife and sons.
The man who is virtually finished at the House wanted to take on what he called “fake news,” too. He said:
‘And context is key to understanding any new bit of information before us, But this does not make all news fake. In the former Soviet Union, they have truly fake news, and attempts to equate what’s happening here with what happened there is most dangerous.’
Sanford continued:
‘There is a reason that the Founding Fathers enshrined the idea of a free and open press in the First Amendment. We should watch this carefully as the populist waves of today now come ashore.’
Sanford also worried about the economy, believing that Washington’s “runaway spending” would leave to inflation:
‘I believe that we are marching our way toward the most predictable financial and economic crisis in the history of our republic.
‘If we don’t change course soon, markets will do it for us, and the consequences will be damning with regard to future inflation, the value of the dollar, the worth of our savings, and ultimately our way of life.’
Featured image is a screenshot via YouTube.
