Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) on Tuesday defended Donald Trump
Donald TrumpPew finds Latinos aren’t so sure about going to polls The gun business is killing America Trump targets Clinton's health in new ad MORE and said the country might need a leader to show "authoritarian power."
"Sometimes, I wonder that our Constitution is not only broken, but we need a Donald Trump to show some authoritarian power in our country and bring back the rule of law," LePage said on Maine radio station WVOM, CNN reported.
"Because we've had eight years of a president, he's an autocrat, he just does it on his own, he ignores Congress and every single day, we're slipping into anarchy," he said.
LePage stood by the GOP presidential nominee amid concerns about a 2005 tape released last week where Trump was heard making lewd comments about women.
In the tape, Trump describes how he could grope and kiss women without their consent because of his celebrity status. Trump brushed off the comments as locker room talk, but has faced backlash from many Republicans since its release.
"Is he a slimeball? I'd be the first one to say, not a guy ideally I'd want my daughter going after," LePage said of Trump. "But I will tell you one thing, as the head of state, is he going to protect our nation and fight the debt or is he going to go after interns? That's the bottom line."
"I'll tell you how I gauge my heart. I look at my kids and if they're successful and they're moving in the right direction I'm a happy camper. Because that's who I live for," LePage said.
"And so I think if you look at Donald Trump and you see his kids you're pretty pleased to see what you see in front of you. Then on the other hand, you look at a presidential candidate who's been around since the '90s, who has been after one fraudulent activity after another."
The outspoken GOP governor made headlines earlier this year after the release of a profanity-laced voicemail he sent to Drew Gattine, a Democratic state representative.