GOP Governor Makes Clear He Won’t Back Trump Weeks Before Election Day

BOSTON, MA - MAY 11: Gov. Charlie Baker gives a press conference on May 11, 2020 in the Gardner Auditorium of the State House over Massachusetts approach to re-opening the economy. (Photo by Blake Nissen for The Bost... BOSTON, MA - MAY 11: Gov. Charlie Baker gives a press conference on May 11, 2020 in the Gardner Auditorium of the State House over Massachusetts approach to re-opening the economy. (Photo by Blake Nissen for The Boston Globe via Getty Images) MORE LESS
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Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) announced on Wednesday that he will not vote for President Trump in next month’s presidential election.

In a statement issued Wednesday afternoon, Lizzy Guyton, Baker’s communications director, said that the Massachusetts governor “cannot support” the President’s re-election campaign and is “focused on seeing” the state through the COVID-19 pandemic.

“He’ll leave the election analysis to the pundits,” Guyton said in the statement, which did not indicate that Baker will vote for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden instead.

The statement came shortly after the Massachusetts governor was pressed during a news conference on who he plans to vote for in next month’s presidential election.

Baker dodged the question, saying that he “may take a pass on that one,” adding “we’ll see” when asked if that means he won’t vote at all.

This isn’t the first time that the Massachusetts governor has come out against Trump.

Last March, the Republican governor threw cold water on the President’s hopes of having Americans back at work by Easter (which was April 12) just weeks after COVID-19 restrictions were implemented.

A few months later, Baker got choked up over Trump’s call for governors to “dominate” protesters amid nationwide protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death.

“I heard what the President said today about dominating and fighting,” Baker said in June. “I know I should be surprised when I hear incendiary words like this from him, but I’m not.’”

The President eventually got around to attacking Baker last month after the Republican governor rebuked Trump’s refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the November presidential election.

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