Indiana Candidate Jaime West Says She Drank Beers Before Viral Piers Morgan Interview

Jaime West, a Democratic county council candidate in Fayetteville, Indiana, said Monday that she drank beers before a viral interview in which she slurred her words. West appeared on "Piers Morgan Uncensored," where the host asked her directly whether she had been drinking. She said she had three beers and argued she was not that intoxicated. She also described having a drink, or a couple, to calm her nerves. In the viral interview she gave a rambling monologue and pledged to fire all Republicans.

Left-leaning outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while alternative/independent and right-leaning outlets had. The right-leaning New York Post leads with the number of beers, three, and calls the interview a trainwreck. It highlights her pledge to fire all Republicans and her claim that she was not that intoxicated. The alternative outlet TMZ leads with her admission of a drink or a couple, framed as an attempt to calm her nerves, and notes the host asked her point-blank. Both sides agree on the core admission. They differ in emphasis and in how they describe the amount she drank.