Elder denies showing gun to woman during domestic argument

Larry Elder, a talk radio host and a leading Republican candidate in California's recall election, denies his ex-fiancee's accusation that he once displayed a gun to her during a heated 2015 argument

LOS ANGELES -- The former fiancee of Larry Elder said Thursday that the conservative radio talk show host now running for governor in California showed her a gun during a heated argument in 2015. Elder, widely seen as the leader in the Republican field running to replace Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in next month's recall election, issued a statement saying “I have never brandished a gun at anyone." Elder, who is seeking to become California's first Black governor, noted that he grew up in South Los Angeles, an area with high violent crime. “I know exactly how destructive this type of behavior is,” he said. Alexandra Datig's accusation, first reported by Politico, comes with less than four weeks until the Sept. 14 election and at a time when mail-in ballots already have arrived at voters' homes. Elder said he intended to “stay focused on the issues” that inspired the recall drive by Republicans upset with Newsom's progressive policies and handling of the pandemic.