Carl Paladino, real estate developer and co-chairman of President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign in New York, said in a newspaper interview that he hopes President Obama will die of mad cow disease and first lady Michelle Obama will be sent to Africa in 2017.

When asked by the alternative weekly newspaper Artvoice “What do we want for 2017,” Paladino didn’t hold back:

1. Obama catches mad cow disease after being caught having relations with a Herford [sic]. He dies before his trial and is buried in a cow pasture next to Valerie Jarret [sic], who died weeks prior, after being convicted of sedition and treason, when a Jihady [sic] cell mate mistook her for being a nice person and decapitated her. 2. Michelle Obama. I’d like her to return to being a male and let loose in the outback of Zimbabwe where she lives comfortably in a cave with Maxie, the gorilla. 3. Someone with a brain, a set of balls and a lack of fear who has enough money so as not to owe anyone anything once elected and who believes in a market economy.

He also complained about the proposed $50 million train station, the school board, “socialistic progressive politicians,” and New York being the “laughingstock of America.”

When asked about whether he stood by his comments about the Obamas, Paladino, who is also a member of the Buffalo School Board, did not back down. He confirmed to Buffalo News that he had indeed made the comments to Artvoice.

“Of course I did,” he said Friday morning. “Tell them all to go f— themselves.”

Paladino also released a statement on Friday:

Barbara Nevergold, president and member-at-large of the Buffalo School Board, condemned Paladino’s statements in a press conference:

Dr. Barbara Nevergold held a press following remarks Carl Paladino made about President Obama and the First Lady in Artvoice. pic.twitter.com/H4axqHL9ec — John Hickey (@jhickeyBN) December 23, 2016

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called the remarks “reprehensible” and said in a statement that Paladino has “a long history of racist and incendiary statements.”

Carl Paladino made racist, ugly, reprehensible remarks about the President & First Lady. My wish this season is for unity.

Full statement pic.twitter.com/ZHgsrHmHbp — Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) December 23, 2016

Paladino ignited controversy in September after he told NPR that Trump supporters “want the raccoons out of the basement.”

“The press has to get over that, OK? If you’re looking to find a flaw or a gaffe, you’re going to find it. In anybody,” Paladino said of Trump at the time.

“The essence of the man is that he’s speaking to the people and he speaks directly to them and he engages them,” Paladino added.

“People that get on this bus, on the Trump bus, are people that are very, very frustrated with their government as (inaudible). That’s the most important thing. It doesn’t matter what kind of person is the exterminator, OK? They want the raccoons out of the basement,” Paladino said.

Paladino denied that the comments had any racial connotations and blamed the media for stirring up controversy.

At a June 2015 political rally in Olean Paladino made a comment about “damn Asians” and other “foreigners” attending the University at Buffalo.