Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) followed up recent complaints about out-of-state drug dealers impregnating "white girls" by suggesting this week that some drug offenses should be punished with public executions.
At a town hall meeting earlier this month, LePage had complained that "guys with the name D-Money, Smoothie, Shifty" were bringing drugs into Maine from Connecticut and New York.
“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 have to deal with down the road," he said.
The governor's office later insisted that the comments had not been about race.
During LePage's weekly radio appearance on WTOM on Tuesday, the governor was asked about efforts to increase penalties for drug dealers from out of state.
In cases where drug use resulted in death, LePage argued that "the death penalty should be the law" for dealers.
"I think these people -- there's nothing good enough for these people," he opined. "I think four years is not good enough, we've got to go to 20 years, we've got to keep them here until they die."
At that point, the broadcast briefly went silent as LePage's comment left the radio hosts speechless.
"If you want my honest opinion, we should give them an injection of the stuff they sell," LePage continued. "I'm just appalled at people getting angry at me for making a comment when they protect these people. And the ACLU, mind you, is the worst organization in the state of Maine protecting these people."
Although the hosts of the show attempted to conclude the interview, the governor was not done.
"What I think we ought to do is bring the guillotine back," LePage interrupted. "We could have public executions, and we could even have which hole it falls in."
