Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) appeared to suggest on Thursday that he lies to reporters so they will write misleading “stupid stories” about his governorship.
Asked about reports he planned to leave Maine for a vacation while the state government was shut down, LePage told a local radio station those stories were misleading and that he had to “laugh” about it.
“I mean, you talk about people who got taken line hook and sinker,” he said. “This is the comment I made. It was Monday. I said, my pen’s on vacation, I have nothing to sign. Next thing you know I’m on my way to Florida.”
He called the press “so, so vile and inaccurate.”
“I mean, give me a break, guys. The press is really — I mean, this is when you know that it’s not about the press,” LePage said. “It’s not about reporting. It’s about poking at a certain person in the eye for six and a half years. Shame on them. I’ll tell you this, though, they’re so bad, and you know what we found that works? We go Facebook Live and we ignore them and they get even angrier.”
LePage said his office uses Facebook Live as a way to “ignore” the press.
“And they get even angrier,” he said. “I just love to sit in my office and make up wasters so they’ll write these stupid stories. I mean, they are just so stupid, it’s awful.”
LePage called the press “useless,” and added: “I’m sorry but I tell you, the sooner the print press goes away, the better society will be.”
His office did not immediately respond to TPM’s request for comment.
