Terry McAuliffe is leaving his post as Virginia governor, and he's going out swinging.
The outgoing governor, to be succeeded by Democrat Ralph Northam this weekend, is so frustrated by reports that President Trump called Haiti a "s***hole" that he is challenging the commander-in-chief to a fight.
“You would have to pick him up off the floor,” McAuliffe said about his potential duel with Trump.
“Listen, if this guy got in my space, you wanna get in my space, I’ve always said Chris, you punch me, I’m going to punch back twice as hard," McAuliffe said on Chris Matthews's show on MSNBC Thursday night. "And it wouldn’t be hard to do it, but you know, this guy thinks he could intimidate everybody. It’s disgraceful. It’s embarrassing."
Others haven't exactly challenged Trump to a duel, but they did condemn his comments and demand apologies, while some especially outraged pundits called him a "racist." American Urban Radio Network's April Ryan even asked the president if he was a racist after a Martin Luther King, Jr. ceremony Friday.
Matthews encouraged McAuliffe's language, telling him he “sounds like an Irish-American politician.”
Trump has denied using those specific vulgar words to describe Haiti, El Salvador and African nations.
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Never said anything derogatory about Haitians other than Haiti is, obviously, a very poor and troubled country. Never said “take them out.” Made up by Dems. I have a wonderful relationship with Haitians. Probably should record future meetings - unfortunately, no trust!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2018
Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin (IL), who was in the room at the time the controversial remarks were reportedly made, told the press Friday morning that he heard the president say it.
"He said these hate-filled things, and he said them repeatedly," Durbin said.
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