South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster Faces Outrage and Calls for Apology Over Hunting Democrats with Dogs Remark

Outrage is mounting over a remark South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) made this weekend about hunting Democrats with dogs. At a state GOP convention, McMaster said, “I look forward to the day that Democrats are so rare, we have to hunt them with dogs.” The comment was reported by Joseph Bustos, a reporter at The State, who noted that McMaster has used this turn of phrase before.

In response, the Anderson County Democratic Party shared a petition online with a statement from its chairman, Chris Salley, asking McMaster to apologize and “retract this racially-tinged dog whistle” and for the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division to open an investigation.

“McMaster’s comments are not only inappropriate and offensive, but they also encourage violence and hatred,” Salley said. “This type of rhetoric has no place in our state and should not be tolerated.”

The petition has been signed by hundreds of South Carolina residents, and the Anderson County Democratic Party is calling on other Democratic organizations in the state to join them in demanding an apology from McMaster.

The South Carolina Democratic Party has also issued a statement, calling McMaster’s comments “unacceptable” and “dangerous”. The party is urging McMaster to apologize and to “commit to a higher standard of discourse”.

McMaster has yet to respond to the outcry over his comments. In the meantime, the Anderson County Democratic Party and other Democratic organizations in the state are continuing to call on him to apologize and retract his statement.