Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) on Thursday left an angry, profanity-laced voicemail for a state lawmaker, accusing the Democrat of calling him a racist.
In the voicemail obtained by the Portland Press Herald, LePage challenged Drew Gattine to “prove” that he is a racist and dared him to “record this and make this public.”
{mosads}”Mr. Gattine, this is Gov. Paul Richard LePage,” the governor said in the audio. “I would like to talk to you about your comments about my being a racist, you c— sucker. 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 b—-, socialist c— sucker. You — I need you to — just friggin’. I want you to record this and make it public because I am after you. Thank you.”
In an interview after the voicemail was made public, LePage told the Press Herald he wished “it were 1825” so they could have a duel.
“That’s how angry I am,” he said.
“I would not put my gun in the air, I guarantee you, I would not be [Alexander] Hamilton. I would point it right between his eyes, because he is a snot-nosed little runt and he has not done a damn thing since he’s been in this Legislature to help move the state forward,” he said.
Gattine has denied calling the governor a racist.
On Wednesday, LePage called Khizr Khan, the father of a slain American soldier, a “con artist” for criticizing Donald Trump at the Democratic National Convention in July.
“Then there’s the all mighty powerful ones like Mr. Khan, which is a con artist himself, and he uses the death of his son, who’s an American soldier, which we respect and honor, and he uses that to go after Trump, which I found very distasteful,” LePage said in a radio interview.