Anti-Trump Republican uses Ohio nickname to describe Iowa amid possible 2020 run

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If former Rep. Mark Sanford, R-S.C., is planning to launch a 2020 challenge to President Trump, he hasn't gotten off to a good start.

On Thursday, Sanford delivered a message to Iowans as he announced he was preparing to visit the battleground state on Aug. 28 and 29.

"Will be going to Iowa next week would love your wisdom on local perspectives from the Buckeye state!" Sanford tweeted.

There was just one problem. "Buckeye" is the nickname for Ohio, not Iowa, which is referred to as the "Hawkeye" state.

SANFORD, MULLING GOP PRIMARY BID IN 2020, CONFESSES: 'I DON'T THINK ANYBODY'S GOING TO BEAT DONALD TRUMP

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The former congressman and South Carolina governor apparently realized the error as the tweet was removed from his timeline.

A Sanford 2020 run would inevitably have to reconcile with the politician's rocky history. Sanford was a prominent figure in the Republican Party and served as chairman of the Republican Governors Association. He resigned though after news surfaced that he had an affair with a woman in Argentina.

Although Sanford was able to win a congressional seat in 2012, he lost the primary in 2018 after publicly criticizing the president. At that point, Sanford seemed to agree with critics in that his political career was over. "Never say never," he added as a caveat.

Thursday's tweet seemed like the latest indication that he would try to challenge the president after duking it out with him before midterms.

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Sanford has painted his potential run as a way to influence the national conversation. “I think it’s about trying to force a larger national debate and a debate within Republican circles,” he said during a July interview with Fox News.

He's also acknowledged he couldn't beat Trump. “I always like to be real, and I don’t think anybody’s going to beat Donald Trump. That’s my personal opinion,” he previously told Fox.