This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Utah State Republican Chairman James Evans is one funny guy.

Melania Trump he is not, but if you didn't catch his sarcasm at first, you would think he is a parrot mimicking his Democratic counterpart, Peter Corroon.

Last week, when Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's husband, former president Bill Clinton, came to Utah for a fundraiser in Park City, Gov. Gary Herbert reiterated his support for Republican candidate Donald Trump,

That prompted Corroon to issue a statement, condemning Herbert's support of the brash GOP candidate in light of Trump's insults toward various religious and ethnic groups, including Mormons.

"Unbelievable. Shameful. Appalling. Those are just some of the words that came to mind when I heard Gary Herbert confirm his plan to vote for Donald Trump in November," Corroon said.

"Governor Herbert has shown once again that he prioritizes politics and his own party over what is best for the people of Utah," he added. "When he publicly voices support for a man who has disrespected so many groups of people, even calling for a ban on Muslim migration; a man who would be a disaster for Utah's economy and cost us up to 95,000 jobs; a man who jokes about gun violence against his opponent; a man who is so clearly unfit and unqualified to be president, Utahns know Gary Herbert is not looking out for their best interests."

That prompted Evans, not one to be out-propagandized, to issue a response later that day.

"Unbelievable. Shameful. Appalling. Those are just some of the words that came to mind when I heard Democratic candidate for Governor Mike Weinholtz was planning to vote for Hillary Clinton in November," Evans wrote.

"Mike has shown once again that he prioritizes politics and his own party over what is best for the people of Utah. When he publicly voices support for a woman who has disrespected and lied to so many groups of people, even accepting money from countries that deny women basic human rights; a woman who has repeatedly lied to the American people, U.S. Congress, and the families of slain servicemen; a woman who is so clearly unfit and unqualified to be president, Utahns know Mike Weinholtz is not looking out for their best interests."

Sound familiar?

Corroon also said in his statement: "Utah Democrats agree with Mitt Romney on this one: with Trump, 'the prospects for a safe and prosperous future are greatly diminished... Donald Trump lacks the temperament to be president… Dishonesty is Trump's hallmark… He is a phony and a fraud… If his plans were ever implemented, the country would sink into a prolonged recession."

Added Evans: "A vast majority of Utahns agree with me on this one: with Hillary, the prospects for a safe and prosperous future are greatly diminished... Hillary Clinton lacks the integrity to be president... Dishonesty is Clinton's hallmark... She is a phony and a fraud... If her plans were implemented, the country will continue its sluggish economic recovery and even sink back into a prolonged recession."

You had to get to the very end of Evans' press release to read: "This Press Release was inspired by Peter Corroon."

So Evans is taking a page out of his party's stndard bearer. He's being sarcastic.

And speaking of sarcasm, as most Utahns know by now, Trump seemed to belittle the state dominated by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints last week when he told a group of evangelical Christians in Orlando that he has a "tremendous problem" in Utah.

Speaking to a gathering of influential pastors hosted by the American Renewal Project, Trump called Utah "a different place" and asked whether anyone in the crowd was from the state. "I didn't think so," he said, to some laughter.

Also, during Bill Clinton's visit to Utah, Trump tweeted: "Crooked Hillary thinks she can win in Utah with loser Mitt Romney's help. Who cares about Utah. Small state, strange people. Boring place."

Those were interesting comments in light of Trump's rhetoric when he visited Utah prior to the state's Republican caucuses, telling a crowd, "I love the Mormons." He then questioned how good of a Mormon was Mitt Romney, the GOP's 2012 presidential candidate.

That didn't go over real well in this state, which voted overwhelmingly for Romney four years ago.

His comments in Orlando also seemed to belie the guest editorial he wrote in the LDS Church-owned Deseret News a few days ago making nice with Utah, the same state he called a "small state with strange, strange people."

Like James Evans, Trump is one funny guy. —