Updated 6:30 p.m.
Maine Gov. Paul LePage shocked fellow Republicans last week when he said President Barack Obama “hates white people.”
Two state Republican lawmakers present at the event confirmed the comment to the Portland Press Herald, withholding their names for fear of political blow-back.
Both said that the governor, speaking at a party meet-and-greet with Maine’s new GOP chairman, said the president could have been the best president if he had highlighted his biracial heritage, but posited that he hadn’t done so because he hates white people.
“Yeah, he said it,” one of the lawmakers who confirmed the story told the Portland Press Herald. “It was one little thing from a speech, but I think most people there thought it was totally inappropriate.”
Following media reports, the governor denied the remarks.
“I never said that,” the governor said while walking away from reporters.
“And you guys are all about gossip!” he said, turning with a pointed finger.
LePage is one of the country’s most unpopular governors. Just 39% of Maine residents approved of the job he’s doing in a January poll and his net approval rating is in the negative. He’s considered to be one of the more vulnerable governors for 2014. In 2010, he narrowly won a three-way face-off against Independent Eliot Cutler, who has already announced he’ll challenge the governor again.
These aren’t the governor’s first controversial and provocative remarks.
During his campaign for the governorship, LePage said he’d tell the president to “go to hell” if elected. He later apologized for his word choice, but not the message.









