Massachusetts' Republican governor 'cannot support Donald Trump for president'

Massachusetts' Republican governor is diverging from his party this election cycle.

In a Wednesday statement, Gov. Charlie Baker declared through a spokesperson that he "cannot support Donald Trump for president" and will "leave the election analysis to the pundits." Baker didn't say whether he'd support Democratic nominee Joe Biden in turn.

Baker also didn't vote for Trump in 2016, saying he cast a blank ballot for the presidency for the first time that year. He said he had previously decided he couldn't support Trump "for a number of reasons," but said Hillary Clinton had "believability issues."

Baker is a moderate Republican who has been surprisingly popular in the deep blue state of Massachusetts throughout his last five years in office. He has maintained one of the highest approval ratings of any governor in the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic, even topping Sen. Elizabeth Warren's (D-Mass.) support among Massachusetts Democrats in August.

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