Governor LePage Apologizes For Drug-Related Comments

Gov. Paul LePage held a press conference at the State House on Jan. 8 to address racially-charged remarks he made at a meeting in Bridgton on Jan. 6.

During the press conference (which can bee seen in the video below from the Sun Journal via the Bangor Daily News) LePage said he "slipped up" when he he was discussing Maine's increasing opioid problem.

“These are guys with the name D-Money, Smoothie, Shifty. These type of guys. They come from Connecticut and New York, they come up here, they sell their heroin, then they go back home," the governor said. "Incidentally, half the time they impregnate a young, white girl before they leave, which is a real sad thing because then we have another issue we've go to deal with down the road."

LePage apologized for his remarks and said he meant to say "Maine women" instead of "white women." He also called on the assembled media to do its part in fighting the state's drug problem.

See the press conference here:

Original story below

Governor Paul LePage made comments this week at a town hall meeting in Bridgton that have gotten national attention. The governor was talking about drug traffickers from Connecticut and New York and how they come to Maine and impregnate girls who are “young” and “white” before leaving the state.

This has caused a backlash condemning Gov. LePage's remarks as racist.

A spokesman for the governor issued a statement on the comments saying the comments weren’t about race, which he called “irrelevant.”

Watch the video of the Governor's comments and tell us what you think.