“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, because we’ve had eight years of a president that, he’s an autocrat, he just does it on his own, he ignores Congress, we’re slipping, every single day, we’re slipping into anarchy. And I just think that four more years of a similar mentality is going to destroy this nation,” LePage said.

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine’s Governor Paul LePage is standing by presidential candidate Donald Trump in the wake of controversy about comments Trump made in an 11-year-old tape, and suggesting the US needs “authoritarian power” after President Obama.


LePage is a Republican, like Trump. He addressed Trump’s comments, in which the candidate bragged about being able to commit sexual assault, during an appearance on WVOM-FM.

Of Trump’s recent comments, LePage says ‘‘it’s one thing to be in a locker room and talk, it’s another thing to be in the White House and do it.’’ He then went on to compare Trump’s comments to Bill Clinton’s extramarital affair with Monica Lewinsky.

The Maine governor qualified by saying Donald Trump is ‘‘not the ideal guy I'd want my daughter going after.’’

LePage endorsed Trump months ago and stumped for the New York business man at the state’s caucus. His daughter Lauren works for Trump’s campaign.

Listen to the interview:

Christina Prignano contributed to this report. She can be reached at christina.prignano@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @cprignano.