meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
The Gray Area with Sean Illing

Rep. Mark Sanford on losing the Republican Party to Donald Trump

The Gray Area with Sean Illing

Vox Media Podcast Network

Politics, News, Society & Culture, News Commentary, Philosophy

4.511.1K Ratings

🗓️ 29 October 2018

⏱️ 65 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Mark Sanford was elected to Congress in 1994, where he quickly established himself as one of the most conservative members of the chamber. In 2002, he was elected governor of South Carolina. He was, again, one of the most conservative elected officials in the country. Many expected him to be the GOP’s nominee against Obama in 2012. Then it all happened. The disappearance. “Hiking the Appalachian trail.” Sanford left public life. He was done, it seemed. And then he wasn’t. He won a House seat in South Carolina. He overcame the kind of scandal that usually destroys a politician. But he couldn’t overcome Trump. Sanford was a rock-ribbed conservative, a Republican, but he was no Trumpist. He accused the president of fanning the flames of intolerance, of being reckless with the truth. He wrote a New York Times op-ed calling on Trump to release his tax returns. Sanford got a primary opponent for his troubles, Trump endorsed her, and Sanford lost. Weeks after Sanford's defeat, Trump appeared before House Republicans and mocked Sanford in front of his colleagues. The president, unusually, was booed. I sat down with Sanford in his final weeks in Congress to talk about what he’s learned about the Republican Party, about Donald Trump, about America, and about himself. Recommended books: Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides’s Trap? by Graham Allison Fascism: A Warning by Madeleine Albright The Square and the Tower: Networks and Power, from the Freemasons to Facebook by Niall Ferguson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Traveling is amazing.

0:02.8

Dealing with logistics, not so much.

0:06.1

Viator can help make travel simple and enjoyable.

0:10.0

Viator has over 300,000 bookable experiences,

0:14.0

ranging from simple tours to extreme adventures.

0:17.1

Plus, Viator's experiences have millions of real traveler reviews,

0:21.6

so you'll have the information you need to book the best activities for your trip.

0:26.5

Download the Viator app now and use Code Viator 10 for 10% off your first booking.

0:31.7

One app, over 300,000 experiences you'll remember.

0:35.9

Do more with Viator.

0:56.3

The next question keeps you immersed in your music and in the zone.

1:00.0

Galaxy Buds 2 Pro.

1:01.7

Treat your ears to audio as it was intended.

1:04.5

Feel more, move more.

1:06.2

Search Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro.

1:10.3

Why do you think you lost your primary?

1:12.6

I lost because I wasn't trump enough on the age of Trump.

1:27.3

Hello, welcome to Zerklancio.

1:29.1

On the Vox Media Podcast Network, we are so close to election.

1:33.6

And so I've been thinking about who is interesting to hear from right now.

1:37.8

Who has a perspective on this?

1:39.9

The most people don't have.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Vox Media Podcast Network, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Vox Media Podcast Network and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.