Texas GOP speaker says Trump 'killing us' in secret tape
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas' GOP House speaker called a female lawmaker "vile" and said President Donald Trump is "killing us" with urban and suburban voters in a secretly recorded meeting with a conservative activist.
House Speaker Dennis Bonnen also personally disparaged a Democratic lawmaker in the tape released Tuesday.
The tape is at the center of an ongoing state police investigation into whether Bonnen improperly offered House media credentials in exchange for campaign help. It's also thrown Republicans into disarray at a time when their state dominance is slipping.
The tape has prompted calls for Bonnen's resignation. Bonnen said Tuesday "this was nothing more than a political discussion." He's previously apologized for "embarrassing" and "hurtful" comments on the tape but didn't give details.
The meeting happened in June between Bonnen and the leader of a hardline conservative group called Empower Texans. It wasn't clear whether the hourlong recording was edited.