Virginia Democrat gubernatorial candidate Ralph Northam doubled down on his divisive primary campaign rhetoric, calling President Donald Trump “a narcissistic maniac.”
Northam attacked President Trump during the Democratic primaries. The Democratic candidate for Virginia governor said, “I’ve been listening carefully to Donald Trump, and I think he’s a narcissistic maniac.”
Northam also promised to keep Trump’s politics “on the other side of the Potomac.”
Northam faces increasingly close polls between Northam and Republican competitor Ed Gillespie; both candidates remain virtually tied at 42 percent. The tight polling gap between Northam and Gillespie might explain why Northam temporarily decided to mirror President Trump’s populist approach, labeling himself above party politics.
In a recent campaign ad, Northam told Virginians, “As a doctor, nobody ever asks if I’m a Democrat or a Republican; they just want my help.”
Northam added, “So if Donald Trump is helping Virginia, then I’ll work with him.”
Now, it appears that Northam has flip-flopped yet again, telling NPR radio host Kojo Nnamdi that he stands by his comments, calling the president “a maniac.”
Nnamdi asked Northam if he stands by his attacks: “You mentioned President Trump. You called him a narcissistic maniac. Do you still feel he’s a narcissistic maniac? Gillespie commented, ‘You can’t call people those names – he is the leader of the country – and still expect to work with him.’ What’s your answer to both of those questions?”
Northam responded, “Well, I stand by what I said.”