Texas pols cried foul after Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont dunked on the city of Houston — calling it “butt-ugly” in a battle of cross-country trash talk that led him appearing to walk back his dis.
Lamont, who was visiting the city for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, delivered the jab on a radio show earlier this week following the University of Connecticut’s championship win on Monday.
“After winning the semifinals, you walk around downtown Houston, which is butt-ugly,” Lamont said on WPLR-FM’s “Chaz and AJ Show.” “Not much there.”
The zinger left Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner looking to tee up Lamont with a technical foul.
“Houston is not butt-ugly. Houston is a clean city. The downtown area is clean” he told local station KHOU in an interview posted to his Twitter page.
“He’s just factually wrong,” Turner said as he noted the city fed, housed and hosted him and the victorious UConn basketball team.
“And you’re going to go back and talk about ‘butt-ugly?’ Which end was he looking from?” Turner added.
Both Lamont and Turner are Democrats.
Turner also delivered a scathing rebuke in a series of tweets from his account.
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In one tweet, he said Lamont’s statement is “indicative of a loser” and in another tweet he questioned “when is the last time Connecticut hosted a NCAA #FinalFour?”
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo also weighed in.
“Hi @NedLamont, I’m sure we got some wires crossed about how incredible Houston is” she tweeted as she offered to take him around the city. “Consider this a standing invite!”
Lamont appeared to backtrack when asked about the verbal barbs during an unrelated press conference Thursday, calling the people in the city gracious and welcoming.
“[Turner] said: ‘Maybe the governor’s looking at the wrong end of a beautiful horse,’” Lamont said. “I guess I resemble that comment. I want to say more importantly that nothing compares to the beauty of that amazing basketball championship on Monday night.”
He also stressed he was joking when he made the “butt-ugly” quip.
Turner tweeted Thursday evening that he and Lamont spoke over the phone and Lamont apologized for his comments.
“I accepted his apology and again congratulated his @UConnMBB team on their victory,” Turner said.
With Post wires
