In a profane voicemail, Maine’s governor accused State Rep. Drew Gattine of unfairly labelling him a bigot. LePage placed the call shortly after telling the press that most drug dealers are black and Latino—and that he keeps a binder of mugshots to prove the point.
Talking Points Memo has transcribed the voicemail in full:
I would like to talk to you about your comments about my being a racist, you cocksucker. I want to talk to you. I want you to prove that I’m a racist. I’ve spent my life helping black people and you little son-of-a-bitch, socialist cocksucker. You … I need you to, just friggin. I want you to record this and make it public because I am after you. Thank you.
LePage later invited one of the Press Herald’s reporters to the governor’s mansion and doubled down on his threats. “I guarantee you, I would not be (Alexander) Hamilton. I would point it (the gun) right between his eyes,” he insisted.
OK.
Gattine, who has long been one of the governor’s chief foes, told the Portland Press Herald that he never actually called the governor a racist and that his comments are “inappropriate.” But that probably won’t deter the governor. LePage has always been Maine’s bully-in-chief, which is likely why he’s such a vehement supporter of Donald Trump. (Trump even hired LePage’s daughter to work on his campaign.) And really, what more can we expect from a man who staggered into office on a promise to allow hunters to trap bears with doughnuts?