Campaign

Trump jokingly tells Kentucky to vote for Bevin even though ‘he’s such a pain in the ass’

by Brooke Seipel - 11/04/19 8:10 PM ET

President Trump on Monday encouraged Kentucky rallygoers to back Republican Gov. Matt Bevin’s reelection bid but also jokingly called Bevin “such a pain in the ass” over how much he lobbies the administration on his home state’s behalf.

“He’s such a pain in the ass, but that’s what you want!” Trump said while praising Bevin as a defender of Second Amendment rights and pro-life policies.

{mosads}Trump visited the Bluegrass State on Monday night for a rally in Lexington, where he encouraged voters to support incumbent candidate Bevin as he faces a tough reelection bid against state Attorney General Andy Beshear. Kentucky’s is one of three gubernatorial races in red states that appear neck and neck before the off-year Election Day on Tuesday.

Trump had previously encouraged his Twitter followers to support Bevin, tweeting on Sunday that Kentucky must “send a strong signal” to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

“Matt will never let you down, and we have to send a strong signal to Nancy Pelosi and the Radical Left Democrats,” he wrote on Twitter. “See you on Monday night, VOTE TUESDAY!!!”

Earlier this year, Bevin was rated the most unpopular governor in the United States, with just a 33 percent approval rating in the state.

He has made controversial comments in the past that have earned widespread criticism, especially among Democrats. In March, he told a local talk radio station he had deliberately exposed his nine children to chickenpox rather than vaccinating them, and in January, he said schools that closed due to extreme cold were “getting soft.”