Mark Sanford, 1 Of 3 Republicans Seeking To Take On President Trump, Stops In Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, who is challenging President Donald Trump, stopped in Pittsburgh today.

KDKA political editor Jon Delano caught up with Sanford outside of the Original Hot Dog Shop in Oakland.

He was shaking hands with lots of folks -- many who had no idea who he was.

Sanford, both a former governor and former congressman is a deficit hawk, meaning he hates how the government spends more money than it takes in.

He says under President Trump, budget deficits have grown to $1 trillion a year.

He also says we spend more money on the credit card interest debt each year than we do on children in America.

Jon Delano sat down with the Sanford to talk about these and other issues.

"I'm not delusional about electoral prospects. I know what a 'David and Goliath' story this is, how uphill it is," he said.

"But I know on behalf of my four sons and a lot of other kids and grandkids that are out there that if we don't address this, we're going to face the most severe financial storm our nation has ever faced, I mean along the lines of the Great Depression," he went on to say.

"I mean, the Republican Party has lost its mooring on what it traditionally stood for in regard to financial sanity."

Delano: Should there be an impeachment inquiry?
Sanford: Absolutely. It's what I've said. Again, let's not prejudge the process. I think that what I've seen and heard sounds very unsettling. I think that you need to examine that, see if there's something there. If there is, then you move forward with the impeachment process. If there's not, you don't.

WATCH: KDKA's Jon Delano talks with Republican strategist Mike DeVanney --

So far, three Republican former elected officials have announced their candidacies for president against President Donald Trump, but few Republicans can name them.

"To be frank, there hasn't been much chatter with respect to the potential Republican challengers," Republican strategist Mike DeVanney told KDKA political editor Jon Delano on Wednesday.

The three Republicans include former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld, former Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh, and former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford.

In a late August tweet, Trump dubbed them the "three stooges," saying his support among Republican primary voters is solid.

"The President's numbers are pretty strong, which tells us there isn't really an appetite for change," says DeVanney.

DeVanney says Pennsylvania Republicans are generally happy with the President.

"While people might dislike the tweeting or might dislike the tone or tenor, at the end of the day, they've been very pleased with the record number of conservative judges."

"They've been happy with the tax cut, largely happy with the economy, and they really think he is somebody who is a change agent, a disruptive force in big bureaucratic government," he said.

And, equally important, the potential challengers have, so far, failed to raise the money or grassroots support to take on Trump.

"At least what I'm seeing in Pennsylvania and in other states we're working on, I am not seeing -- not only a groundswell -- I'm not hearing a peep about these challengers."

DeVanney says the real test for these three challengers is whether they can gather the signatures and potential delegates to run in the 2020 Republican Primary.