Report: Maine Governor Says Obama 'Hates White People'

Maine's governor managed to make even his fellow Republicans cringe at a fundraiser last week, according to two GOP state lawmakers who were there. Paul LePage was discussing how President Obama blew his chance at being a great president by not touting his biracial heritage—which he hasn't done because, according to LePage, Obama "hates white people." The two sources heard the comment directly, but aren't revealing themselves for fear of retribution, the Portland Press Herald reports. "It was one little thing from a speech," says one, "but I think most people there thought it was totally inappropriate." Asked about it today, LePage denied making the comment, reports Politico. “No I never said that and you guys are all about gossip, goodbye,” said the governor, as quoted by WLBZ 2.

Two other lawmakers who attended the Maine Republican Party fundraiser and meet-and-greet on August 12 say they didn't hear the remark; another attendee tells the Bangor Daily News LePage "said President Obama had an opportunity to unify the country on race, but didn’t do anything," but that he didn't hear the supposed "white people" comment. The governor is no stranger to controversial remarks; in 2011, he said the NAACP could "kiss my butt," and last year he compared the IRS to the Gestapo. (More Paul LePage stories.)