GOP gubernatorial candidate and current Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin has dodged talking about former U.S. President Donald Trump (and many other topics)—but recently revealed records show how Irvin reportedly felt about Trump in 2018, according to WTTW.

Text messages written by Irvin back then, obtained by WTTW News, appeared to show Irvin has very strong feelings about Trump—and they are not positive.

"And I hate Trump too!" Irvin wrote in a conversation with a retired longtime Aurora city employee. "He's an idiot!!!" Shortly after, Irvin added, "and a bigoted racist."

The messages also appeared to reveal Irvin's belief in equity and equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community (stating, at one point, "As I've told others, if you don't like the idea of a parade, don't come see it"). In 2018, when Indivisible Aurora came up with the idea of a Pride parade in that Chicago suburb, Irvin urged officials to approve the parade permit, even referencing Martin Luther King Jr., The Chicago Tribune reported. And during a June city council meeting, Irvin presented a proclamation to parade organizers, declaring Pride Month in Aurora and specifically singling out the LGBTQ+ parade.

WTTW News also verified that the phone number sending the text messages matched Irvin's publicly listed cellphone number and the number WTTW News has used to reach Irvin.

The comments could inflame the GOP gubernatorial primary race, as Trump has promoted and appeared with some far-right candidates across the country in recent weeks.

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