Politics

Gov. Charlie Baker says he won’t vote for Trump or Clinton

"Sure, it's odd," he said. "And it's disappointing."

Gov. Charlie Baker won't support his party's presidential nominee. Keith Bedford / The Boston Globe

May 4, 2016

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said he will not vote for his party’s nominee Donald Trump and won’t support likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

“The things he said about women and Muslims and religious freedom, I just can’t support,” Baker said. “At the same time, I do believe Secretary Clinton has a huge believability problem.”

Gov. @CharlieBakerMA on @realDonaldTrump after Indiana primary #mapoli pic.twitter.com/vvdgtCWi5n

— Gintautas Dumcius (@gintautasd) May 4, 2016

Speaking to the press Wednesday morning, Baker acknowledged that Trump had earned the Republican nomination “fair and square,” but said he wouldn’t vote for him.

“Sure, it’s odd,” he said, when asked about not voting for his own party’s choice. “And it’s disappointing.”

Baker, a Republican governor in blue Massachusetts, has repeatedly criticized Trump’s divisive rhetoric and his ability to govern effectively. Even after Trump won the primary in Massachusetts, Baker said he would not vote for Trump in the general election.

In December, Baker angrily flicked a printed copy of Trump’s statement in which the businessman said he would temporarily ban all Muslims from entering the United States.

Here’s Gov. Charlie Baker’s angry reaction to reading Trump’s ban Muslims idea pic.twitter.com/FC60LtR3Ce

— Eric Levenson (@ejleven) December 8, 2015

And while endorsing New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie back in February, Baker specifically called out Trump.

“I think there’s a certain temperament and a certain collaborative nature that’s fundamental to somebody’s ability to succeed in government, and I question whether he has the temperament and the sense of purpose that’s associated with delivering on that,” Baker said.

Despite those questions, Baker acknowledged on Wednesday that Trump would be the nominee.

“I give him credit for it,” Baker said. “He earned it fair and square, and congratulations to him.”

Instead, Baker said he will focus his attention on state legislative races rather than the national presidential election.

“There are a lot of really good people running for office in Massachusetts, and that’s where I’m going to focus my time,” he said.