The Maine state legislator who received an expletive-laden voicemail from Gov. Paul LePage said Monday that LePage “probably needs to get some sort of professional help” and suggested his constituents no longer think he’s fit for office.
Democratic State Rep. Drew Gattine elaborated to CNN’s “New Day” on the incident with LePage that made national news last week, when Gattine publicized a voicemail in which the governor called him a “c———” and threatened violence apparently in response to Gattine calling LePage a racist.
But Gattine told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota he had “absolutely not” called LePage a racist, and clarified that he had said “that I didn’t think that those kinds of racially charged comments were really helpful.”
“Again, this governor likes to throw stones. I try not to throw stones back. You know, I was being very careful in terms of what I said.”
Gattine went on to suggest that LePage was unfit for office. “I think the Maine people are getting extremely concerned after six years and these kind of escalating events with respect to our governor, that he’s not at the point where he isn’t fit to be governor. He really probably needs to get some sort of professional help.”
CNN has reached out to the governor’s office for comment and has not yet received a response.
The Maine Democrat also compared LePage’s controversial tenure as Maine’s governor to a potential Donald Trump presidency, warning that it could be a worrisome preview.
“We’ve been dealing with this governor up here in Maine for the past six years. I think he would say, and I think the people in Maine would say, if you want to know what a Donald Trump administration would look like, you really don’t need to look further as to what’s been happening in the last six years up here in Maine.”
LePage is an ardent supporter of Trump, and the Republican presidential nominee’s campaign recently hired LePage’s daughter.