Former Illinois Republican congressman Joe Walsh announced his plans to primary President Donald Trump during a Sunday interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABC's This Week.
Walsh is the second Republican to announce a primary challenge to Trump, following former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld earlier this year. Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford has also indicated that he is considering a challenge to Trump in 2020.
Walsh told Stephanopoulos that he is running because he believes Trump is "unfit" for office.
"Somebody needs to step up and there needs to be an alternative," Walsh said. "The country is sick of this guy's tantrum, he's a child. Again, the litany, he lies every time he opens his mouth."
Walsh added that most Republicans on Capitol Hill "agree privately with everything I'm saying." Walsh added that many Republicans also think that Trump will lose in 2020 and want him to lose in 2020. When Stephanopoulos pushed him on this claim, Walsh said that most Republicans are "just afraid to say that he's unfit."
Walsh said that he's running to put a voice to these private beliefs.
"Our slogan is 'be brave,'" he told Stephanopoulos. "This is not a difficult thing for me to do, I'm opening up my life. And the bet my campaign is making—and I'm going to pound Trump every single day—he's a bully, and he's a coward, and somebody has to call him out. I can't believe nobody in our party has called him out. And the bet, George, of my campaign is that there are a lot of Republicans who feel like I do. They're afraid to come forward."
Walsh served one term in Congress from 2011 to 2013. During his tenure, he opposed tax increases and supported greater border security. After leaving Congress, Walsh became a conservative talk radio host, where he frequently criticizes Trump.