Maine Gov. Paul LePage hinted Tuesday that he might resign before completing his second term, but then quickly backtracked and said that rumor — which he started — had no basis in truth.
The controversial Republican raised eyebrows when he told a radio station in Bangor, Maine that it might be time for him to go.
“I’m looking at all options,” the Republican said during an interview on WVOM. “I think some things I’ve been asked to do are beyond my ability. I’m not going to say that I’m not going to finish it. I’m not saying that I am going to finish it.”
He added later, “If I’ve lost my ability to help Maine people, maybe it’s time to move on.”
But by the afternoon, LePage was saying on Twitter that there was nothing behind his comments.
“Regarding rumors of resignation, to paraphrase Mark Twain: ‘The reports of my political demise are greatly exaggerated,'” he tweeted.
Regarding rumors of resignation, to paraphrase Mark Twain: “The reports of my political demise are greatly exaggerated.” #mepolitics
— Paul R. LePage (@Governor_LePage) August 30, 2016
LePage’s comments come as he faces criticism over his recent actions and comments, including leaving a threatening voicemail to Rep. Drew Gattine last week.
He also caught flack for saying last week that he keeps a three-ring binder of photos from Maine’s drug busts and most “are black and Hispanic people from Waterbury, Conn., the Bronx and Brooklyn.”
“It’s not about me. It’s about making sure that we can move the state forward,” LePage said Tuesday. “It’s one thing to have one party behind [you], it’s another thing to not have any party behind you.”
