Trump co-chair Paladino targets Obamas with offensive comments

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - Buffalo businessman Carl Paladino, who unsuccessfully ran for governor of New York and co-chaired Donald Trump's New York campaign, said he hopes President Barack Obama dies of mad cow disease in 2017 and that First Lady Michelle Obama returns "to being a male."

The Republican made the comments in response to a survey by a newspaper in the Buffalo area called Artvoice, which asked local figures to answer questions for an article called "WHAT DO WE WANT FOR 2017?"

Paladino said he hopes President Obama "dies before his trial and is buried in a cow pasture." He said he wants Michelle Obama to be "let loose in the outback of Zimbabwe where she lives comfortably in a cave with Maxie, the gorilla."

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who defeated Paladino in the 2010 election, said in a statement that his former rival has a "long history of racist and incendiary comments."

"While most New Yorkers know Mr. Paladino is not to be taken seriously, as his erratic behavior defies any rational analysis and he has no credibility, his words are still jarring," Cuomo said. "His remarks do not reflect the sentiments or opinions of any real New Yorker and he has embarrassed the good people of the state with his latest hate-filled rage."