McMaster’s support of Trump will ruin 2018 governor bid, SC Democrats say

Lt. Gov. Henry McMaster’s continued support of Donald Trump will ruin his chances of being elected S.C. governor in 2018, the state’s Democratic Party said Wednesday.

McMaster, a Columbia Republican long-speculated to be a candidate for governor again in 2018, earlier on Wednesday tweeted a YouTube video of his GOP convention nomination speech for Trump with the caption, “Nothing’s changed.”

The tweet followed a call from S.C. House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford, D-Richland, for McMaster and S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley to pull their support from the GOP nominee after his recent criticism of a Muslim Gold Star family.

“Henry McMaster ... has been one of the demagogue's most enthusiastic cheerleaders,” the S.C. Democratic Party said in a statement. “If Henry McMaster thinks that this dangerous divisiveness will be his path to the Governor's Mansion in two years, he is in for a rude awakening.”

McMaster has run for governor before, running unsuccessfully in the GOP primary in 2010.

Efforts to reach McMaster for comment Wednesday were unsuccessful.