Trump taunts GOP primary challengers Bill Weld, Mark Sanford and Joe Walsh as the ‘Three Stooges’ and says he ‘should be able to take them’ – as he boasts of his ‘94% approval in the Republican Party’
- Trump tweets on Tuesday seem to reference Joe Walsh, Mark Sanford, Bill Weld
- Dubs the three Republicans threatening to primary him ‘the Three Stooges’
- Blasts Sanford over extramarital affair while South Carolina governor
- Says Walsh ‘lost in his second term by a landslide, then failed in radio’
- Inscrutably insults Weld for failing to ‘stand up straight while receiving award’
President Donald Trump has taunted his potential rivals for the Republican presidential nomination, dubbing them ‘the Three Stooges.’
Without naming them, Trump appeared to refer to former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, former U.S. representative from Illinois Joe Walsh, and former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld.
‘Can you believe it? I’m at 94% approval in the Republican Party, and have Three Stooges running against me,’ Trump wrote in a tweet on Tuesday night, slightly exaggerating the latest polling which shows him at 88% approval with Republicans.
President Donald Trump has taunted his potential rivals for the Republican presidential nomination, dubbing them ‘the Three Stooges’
‘One is “Mr. Appalachian Trail” who was actually in Argentina for bad reasons,’ Trump continued, appearing to refer to Sanford, who while governor disappeared from public view in 2009 claiming he was hiking the Appalachian Trail, but was later revealed to be conducting an extramarital affair in Argentina.
Trump continued, apparently referencing Walsh: ‘Another is a one-time BAD Congressman from Illinois who lost in his second term by a landslide, then failed in radio.’
‘The third is a man who couldn’t stand up straight while receiving an award. I should be able to take them!’ Trump concluded, apparently referring to Weld with the cryptic remark.
In 2016, when Weld was running for president on the Libertarian ticket, Trump claimed he was an ‘alcoholic’ after Weld compared Trump’s immigration proposals to the Holocaust.
‘I don’t talk about his alcoholism, so why would he talk about my foolishly perceived fascism?’ Trump told the New York Times through a spokeswoman.
At the time, Weld declined to respond, telling the Times: ‘I’ll let that ride.’
While he was a governor in the 1990s, Weld’s administration was reportedly known for boozy office and Christmas parties.
Both Weld and Walsh have filed federal paperwork announcing their intent to run for the Republican nomination in 2020.
Sanford has said he will make a formal announcement about his intent to run by Labor Day.
All three are considered long-shot candidates for the nomination.