‘Hunt them with dogs’: Gov. McMaster’s office responds after comment gets backlash

GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - Governor Henry McMaster’s office released a statement after a comment from the governor made at the South Carolina GOP convention is receiving backlash.

The Anderson County SC Democratic Party is calling for the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) to investigate Governor Henry McMaster after they say he made a comment about how he “looks forward to the day where democrats are so rare, he can hunt them with dogs”.

The party said the following in a petition:

“Yesterday, Governor Henry McMaster threatened me, my family, and thousands of other Anderson County residents who are Democrats when he said he looks forward to the day he can “hunt us with dogs.”

If the Governor is not willing to apologize and retract this racially-tinged dog whistle, Anderson County Democrats join the Charleston County Democratic Party in asking the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) to open an investigation into this threat and incitement of political violence.

The Democratic Party stands for a SC where no one is above the law and expects the same of SLED and our Governor.”

Brandon Charochak, a spokesman for the governor, said, “Governor McMaster has been making this joke at GOP conventions for years and everyday South Carolinians understand that it’s a joke”.

“If South Carolina Democrat partisans can no longer bear light-hearted jokes made at their expense, then maybe they should focus their energy on winning and not whining,” said Charochak.

The Charleston County Democratic Party is also asking the governor to apologize for his statement.

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