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To his credit, South Carolina’s results-challenged governor Henry McMaster did a good job commending caution to the citizens of the Palmetto State as Hurricane Helene bore down on the southeastern United States late Thursday and early Friday.
Sure, he guffawed a lot – reminding people why we call him “Foghorn Guvnah” – but McMaster, for his many faults, projected calm and common sense during the storm. The caricature politician with the ill-fitting 1990s suits (and four-point folded pocket squares) continuously amplified important messages from statewide law enforcement, transportation and emergency response agencies. Those messages mattered, too, as Helene took a few unexpected turns to the east before and after landfall late Thursday evening (September 26, 2024).
Projecting the opposite vibe? The so-called “shadow governor,” McMaster’s long-time chief of staff, Trey Walker.
Long-known for his insufferable onerousness and general , Walker took to his personal X account shortly before 9:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday to assail government officials in Richland County for shuttering their offices in anticipation of Helene’s arrival.
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Nobody is quicker to take a day off for “any reason or excuse” and not go to work – than Richland County government or Richland County School Districts. And Richland County taxpayers – parents don’t raise hell about this – or vote. Don’t complain. https://t.co/Y4Bbnz3UdB
— Trey Walker ?? (@TreyWalker) September 27, 2024
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In case Walker scrubs his account, here’s what he said…
Nobody is quicker to take a day off for ‘any reason or excuse’ and not go to work – than Richland County government or Richland County School Districts. And Richland County taxpayers – parents don’t raise hell about this – or vote. Don’t complain.
In fairness, Walker is not wrong. Like McMaster, Richland County government has turned laziness and ineffectiveness into a zen-like state. The only thing county leaders are really any good at? Corruption.
Having said that, timing is everything… and Walker’s timing could not have been worse given the seriousness of Helene, a storm which has left at least two South Carolinians dead.
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“This aged well from yesterday,” one Republican lobbyist told me. “How he still has a job today is beyond me.”
Democrats were more public in their condemnation – and urged the media to pick up on Walker’s antics.
“Can y’all imagine if school children in Columbia had been walking to their bus stops this morning around 6:00 – 7:00 a.m.?” Democratic strategist Lachlan McIntosh wrote on X. “How about having them riding on those buses? Isn’t power still out there? Surely Walker’s tweet is a news story.”
Fellow Democratic operative Phil Bailey called Walker’s tweet a “cheap shot” at Richland County and said he was “not on message about being safe during a hurricane.” Bailey also took to X to highlight some of the dangerous conditions in Richland County – tagging Walker in his message.
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Look at this flooding in Richland County!
— PhilBaileySC (@PhilBaileySC) September 27, 2024
Not a safe situation for Richland County students or workers.
Cc: @TreyWalker https://t.co/jgquQqc3X6
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Sources close to the governor’s office told us Walker was indeed facing heat for his comments, and several GOP insiders described him as being “on the ropes” in the aftermath of his tone-deaf remark. We will continue to keep our ear to the ground as it relates to those reports, but this author would be shocked if the governor terminated his long-time right hand over his statements.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Will Folks is the owner and founding editor of FITSNews. Prior to founding his own news outlet, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina, bass guitarist in an alternative rock band and bouncer at a Columbia, S.C. dive bar. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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1 comment
The pot calling the kettle corrupt and lazy. Please. There is nothing at all mixed about these messages. The Governor and his cronies don’t care at all about the people of this State. Some are just clearer than others. At least I know where my children and I stand with Walker.