WATCH: Verbal altercation between Providence Mayor and R.I. Governor

Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee and Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza have been butting heads on various issues for weeks, but it’s pretty clear now that their dislike for each other goes further than a normal political rivalry:

In a video captured by WPRI Channel 12, Elorza has to be physically separated from McKee by several aides at an event in downtown PVD. Elorza, visibly heated, points his finger at the Governor, who looks mostly stunned, even appearing to laugh at the mayor.

The public fallout of this one will be interesting to watch. It’s fun in an instance like this to imagine the Elorza team being informed for the first time that the mayor’s temper tantrum was just caught on video and put out for the world to see. Obviously, Elorza fails a fundamental rule of thumb for politicians and other public figures, which is to assume that a camera is rolling somewhere at all times. Doubly so at a press conference in downtown Providence.

Regardless of the context of the argument here, Elorza is clearly the aggressor and comes off looking clownish. A man comfortable in his own skin and who wants to convince the voters of Rhode Island that he is fit to run the state probably would be able to keep it together in a public venue in any situation. Turns out Elorza doesn’t quite cut it.