'He tried to choke me': Estranged wife of Trump-backed candidate gives shocking testimony of physical abuse

A Donald Trump-endorsed candidate for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania was hit with harsh accusations from his estranged wife on Monday.

"In tears, Laurie Parnell said that her husband would call her a 'whore' and a 'piece of sh*t.' She also testified that he once put her out of the car and left her by the road after they argued when he told her she had to get an abortion," The Philadelphia Inquirerreported Monday. "In a court hearing here over custody of their three children, Laurie Parnell described years of intense rage and abuse that she endured from her husband."

She said the abuse "just got worse and worse."

"He tried to choke me out on a couch and I literally had to bite him to escape," she testified. "He was strangling me."

Parnell's campaign complained about the hearing while denying abuse.

"What happened today in court was not justice, nor did it have any basis in fact or truth. Next week, I'll have an opportunity to present the truth to the court and I look forward to that opportunity," he said in a statement.

Reporter Jonathan Tamari said the testimony "seemed likely to deal a harsh blow to his political ambitions. Until now, he had been widely seen as the front-runner in a primary to select a GOP nominee to occupy the seat long held by Republican Pat Toomey, who chose not to seek another term."

When Trump made his endorsement in September, he said, "Sean Parnell will represent the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania the way it should be represented — and it's about time!"

In 2020, Parnell lost to Democrat Conor Lamb in Pennsylvania's 17th congressional district.