Scott Wagner, the Republican gubernatorial candidate in Pennsylvania, wanted Governor Tom Wolf to know he wasn't giving up. He had an interesting way of expressing that. In a video posted to Facebook, he warned Wolf he would stomp all over his face with golf spikes.
"Governor Wolf, let me tell you, between now and November 6, you better put a catcher's mask on your face because I'm going to stomp all over your face with golf spikes because I'm going to win this for the state of Pennsylvania. And we're throwing you out of office," Wagner said.
Wagner's communications director, Andrew Romeo, described the threat to stomp the governor's face as a metaphor.
"He wanted them to be a metaphor for how he will approach the final stretch of the campaign. Tom Wolf has spent the entire race hiding behind false and negative attack ads like a coward instead of debating in front of the people of Pennsylvania, and Scott will spend the last month of the race making it clear to voters why they should not give him a second term," Romeo said in a statement to PennLive.
Polling has shown that Wolf has a large lead over Wagner, who currently serves as a state senator. The RealClearPolitics spread had Wolf up about 17 percentage points.
President Donald Trump has thrown his support behind Wagner. In a speech at a rally in the state this week, Trump spoke highly of the GOP candidate and noted a Fox News host really likes him as well.
"And your next governor of the state of Pennsylvania—I'll tell you this guy is working hard, folks. He said he did 631 events. I said, 'That's a lot,'" Trump said. "I'll tell you he's a really good man and he's a hard worker. And I know it's a tough race, but based on competence, based on everything, very successful guy, successful businessman, which we like—Scott Wagner. Scott. And maybe the best thing I can say about Scott Wagner is that Judge Jeanine thinks he is fantastic, OK? That might be the greatest endorsement—and you have my full endorsement—that might be the greatest endorsement I can give you, Scott. Judge Jeanine."
