Paul LePage’s Press Conference Had Russian Nesting Dolls of Bill Clinton’s Mistresses

Photo via AP

Maine Gov. Paul LePage called a press conference late Wednesday morning, after he told a local radio host that Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump ought to use “authoritarian power.”

LePage refused to retract his February endorsement of Trump, even in the wake of published recordings of Trump bragging about sexual assault in 2005, and said he would campaign alongside the GOP nominee if asked to do so, even if a third of Republican senators have abandoned him.

“I don’t want to be perfect,” LePage said, amidst his usual broadside of insults at members of the press. “The only man who was perfect in the history of mankind was crucified by the government.”

The most curious part of LePage’s presser, however, were the Russian nesting dolls, or matryoshka, displayed in front of the official state seal of Maine and depicting former President Bill Clinton and three of his mistresses: Monica Lewinsky, Gennifer Flowers, and Paula Jones. (Both Flowers and Jones, whom Trump called a “loser” in a 1998 interview, have endorsed Trump.)

Props for LePage. #mepolitics pic.twitter.com/2rTZtLxJqX

— Michael Shepherd (@mikeshepherdME) October 12, 2016

https://twitter.com/JonWGME/status/786234171165249536

As noted by WBUR’s Ben Swasey, the dolls appear to be this set, available for a cool $44.49 on eBay. Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, who stood by her husband through his indiscretions, is the smallest of the five dolls.

Trump held a press conference of his own one hour before Sunday’s second presidential debate, in which he was flanked by Paula Jones, Kathleen Willey, and Juanita Broaddrick, who have all accused the former president of sexual assault or rape.