Indiana Democratic candidate Jaime West acknowledged Monday that she had consumed “three beers” before delivering a slurred, widely circulated interview in which she said she wanted to dismiss every Republican.
West, who is running for a Fayetteville county council seat, told “Piers Morgan Uncensored” that she was “not that intoxicated” during the rambling appearance at a local televised forum on Oct. 9.
Morgan began by pointing out that many viewers believed West had been drunk during what became a viral and heavily criticized performance. West initially conceded only that she had consumed “a Coors Light.”
Morgan, apparently unconvinced that one beer explained the interview, pressed West on whether that was truly the full amount she had consumed before appearing on television.
West then revised her account, acknowledging that she had actually enjoyed “a couple” of beers.
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“I was nervous,” West said, explaining that she had been preparing to enter “a room full of Republicans.”
Morgan gave West another opportunity to provide a complete and definitive account of how much she had drunk before the visibly unsteady exchange.
“All right, three. Three beers,” West finally said. “What do you want me to say? I had three beers.”
The Indiana Democrat maintained that she was “not that intoxicated” and argued that she still understood what she was saying about Indiana politics.
West also insisted she was sober during her conversation with Morgan. When asked whether she would retract anything from the viral interview, she declined to back away from her comments.
“I say it all the time—I’m not friends with [Republicans]. I don’t like them. They voted for all of this that’s happening to our country,” West said.