A Democratic candidate who stumbled through a viral television appearance has admitted she drank three beers before going on camera, though she insists she was not particularly drunk at the time.
Jamie West, running for a seat on the county council in Indiana, appeared Monday on Piers Morgan's show after a video of her at a political forum on October 9 sparked widespread attention. During that event, she was asked what unpopular decision she would make if elected. She appeared to slur her words at first, then declared she would "fire all the Republicans."
When Morgan pressed her on her condition before that interview, West initially admitted to one beer, then said she had a few, before finally revealing the full count. "Okay, three. Three beers. What do you want me to say? I drank three beers," she said.
"I was nervous! I was about to walk into a room full of Republicans," West explained, attempting to justify the drinking. She maintained, however, that she was not especially intoxicated and knew what she was talking about when it came to Indiana politics.
West added that during her interview with Morgan, she was sober, and she refused to walk back the statements she made in her viral appearance, including her sharp criticism of Republicans.
