Political quotes of the year in SC: America ‘is not a racist country’ and ‘we are fully prepared’ | Palmetto Policy

The past year has been dominated by two things in South Carolina: politics and COVID-19.

It is not surprising that our politicians have a lot to say about both.

Here are some of his most memorable quotes from 2020.

Trump calls COVID ‘hoax’

“They tried the impeachment rumor. … This is the new scam, ”said President Donald Trump, attacking Democrats and accusing them of politicizing COVID-19.

The scene was his February 28 rally at the North Charleston Coliseum.

“We are fully prepared,” he told 13,000 fans that night.

The current number of coronavirus cases in South Carolina reached 260,000 this week.

Cunningham on Trump’s charge

In a city hall in January, US Democratic deputy Joe Cunningham explained his vote for Trump’s impeachment because of his dubious call to the Ukrainian leader.

“If there was aid that was allocated by Congress to Israel, and President (Barack) Obama told the President of Israel that we are not going to release that aid until they go to CNN and announce an investigation into President (Donald) Trump, that would be it would be illegal, “said Cunningham.” That would be an abuse of power and I hope that the president’s impeachment will likewise. “

Cunningham would lose his run for re-election to Republican Nancy Mace, who was endorsed by Trump.

Joe Biden thanks

“My friend, Jim Clyburn. You brought me back. “- Biden, after winning the Democratic presidential primaries in SC, largely with the encouragement he received from Congressman Jim Clyburn, DS.C.

Trump is not to blame

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, one of Trump’s most dedicated supporters, told supporters at his campaign headquarters in Charleston in June that the president was not responsible for America’s growing summer of disunity.

“This idea that it’s Donald Trump dividing the country – I don’t believe that,” said Graham.

The $ 290,000 Elliott Summey airport job

“Elliott may not be the best we can get, but he is based in Charleston,” said Councilman Vic Rawl after chairman Elliott Summey was chosen to be the new CEO at Charleston International Airport.

Responsible officials did not consider a single external candidate for the position, who has a salary of $ 290,000 a year and a car allowance of $ 18,000 a year.

‘Very stupid’

In June, with COVID-19 cases approaching 16,000, Governor Henry McMaster made his strongest call for Southern Carolinians to wear masks in public.

“There are a lot of stupid people floating around,” he said.

Corrupt sheriffs

The Post and Courier continued to detail how, in the past decade, one in four of South Carolina’s 46 counties has seen their elected sheriffs accused of violating laws they have sworn to comply with.

Colleton County Sheriff Andy Strickland joined the list in October when he pleaded guilty to several charges.

Creighton Waters, a prosecutor in the SC Attorney General’s Office, told how Strickland ordered deputies to build and clean a brush in his home, help him to reverse homes, sell used appliances and campaign during county time. .

“They really did have a name for it,” said Waters. “They called it ‘Code 48’. If you were ‘Code 48’ with the sheriff, everyone would understand what that meant. “

Calhoun goes down

Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg spoke of removing the John C. Calhoun monument from Marion Square and circumventing the State Heritage Act, which gives lawmakers control over most state war memorials.

“Well, guys, this is not a war memorial,” said Tecklenburg.

Calhoun, the pro-slavery arsonist, died a decade before the Civil War. The statue was removed in June after a 17-hour effort.

Kanye West beats Harriet Tubman

Rapper Kanye West’s brief candidacy for the presidency included a sometimes bizarre rally in North Charleston, in which he wore body armor in his 11-hour campaign to secure the 10,000 signatures needed to appear in the primary SC vote.

West jumped from one topic to another: how social media brainwashes people; the dangers of opioid addiction; his anger at the lack of diversity on the boards of directors.

He also faced Harriet Tubman, saying that the black abolitionist “never really freed the slaves, she just made them work for other whites”.

After swearing and shedding tears, West left. He did not come up with any name for his election offer.

Berkeley County Sheik

Berkeley County Councilor Tommy Newell was not trying to offend anyone by dressing up as a Middle Eastern man and then posting a photo on social media, saying his tunic suit was part of a paid show for a training exercise tactical.

Newell posted a photo of himself and others in foreign dress, wearing a traditional Middle Eastern keffiyeh headscarf and tunic, and explaining that he was “playing the role of a terrorist” for an organization’s military training.

“I had the absolute honor of playing a terrorist (Berkeley County Sheikh),” Newell said in his Facebook post.

Reach Schuyler Kropf at 843-937-5551. Follow him on Twitter at @ skropf47.