Story highlights Republican Rep. Mark Sanford says Donald Trump has a "callous disregard for details"

Trump told a meeting of House Republicans he would defend U.S. Constitution articles that don't exist

(CNN) Republican Rep. Mark Sanford said Friday that Donald Trump has a "callous disregard for details" that was on full display when the GOP presidential candidate told a private meeting of House Republicans he would fiercely defend articles of U.S. Constitution that don't exist.

"I think what a number of us have been concerned about is a pattern of laxity with regard to details," Sanford told CNN in an interview, explaining that details are critical to good governance, one day after he was part of a group meeting with the presumptive Republican presidential candidate. "It is the details that really matter in impacting people's lives. It is the details that matter frankly in any legislative negotiation."

The South Carolinian lawmaker, who has been critic of Trump, said that lack of respect for details could make it difficult for the businessman to be a successful president.

"I wasn't particularly impressed," Sanford told reporters after Thursday's meeting at an event. "I think it was the normal stream of consciousness that's long on hyperbole and short on facts. At one point there was mentioned -- somebody asked about, you know, Article I powers and what would you do to protect them and you know, I think his response was 'I want to protect Article I, Article II, Article XII -- go down the list.' As we both know there is no Article XII."

Trump's answer came in response to a question from a House Republican about whether Trump as president would defend the prerogatives of Congress that are laid out in Article I of the Constitution. The issue is highly important to lawmakers who are frustrated by the powers of the presidency, which are defined in Article II of the Constitution but that have expanded in recent years by the increased use of executive authority.

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