Clay Aiken thinks there is some humor to be found in the rumors that his former 2014 election opponent Rep. Renee Ellmers, R-N.C., had an affair with a fellow member of Congress.
Rumors of an affair between Ellmers and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy had be circulating for some time, but suspicions flared last week when McCarthy abruptly announced his departure from the contest to be the next speaker of the House. He was widely seen as the front-runner.
The rumors led Ellmers to put out a statement saying she has been the victim of “completely false accusations and innuendo.”
In a Reddit “Ask Me Anything” interview Saturday, Aiken, a former runner-up on “American Idol”, was asked about his failed campaign to take Ellmers’ seat in the 2014 election.
Ellmers, a one-term incumbent at the time, defeated Aiken by a margin of 58.8 percent to 41.2 percent.
“Did you run against Ellmers because you felt like she was too in bed with the establishment?” a Reddit user asked Aiken.
Aiken’s response: 😉 — an emoji depicting a smiling face with a wink.
Elsewhere in the AMA, Aiken addressed his recent endorsement of Vice President Joe Biden for president in 2016.
Last week, Aiken told CNN that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is a “leaky boat” and that Biden is a better candidate. Several media outlets reported the endorsement as a swap from Clinton to Biden.
“I am not sure that I would ever claim it was a shift,” wrote Aiken. “I have always supported Sen. Biden, Vice President Biden, and hopefully future President Biden.”
“I think electability of a Democratic candidate should be of primary importance,” he continued.
