The 53-year-old father or four is facing calls from his own party to step down from the governor’s race, the New York Post reported. McLeod had just entered the race on Monday before the footage was reported a day later from his May arrest, according to local outlet WCBD.
McLeod, who is also an attorney, was stopped in downtown Charleston wearing only shoes and underwear and “yelling at the top of his lungs,” according to a police report. The police report said McLeod showed signs “typical of an individual under the influence of a stimulant narcotic.”
McLeod would not tell law enforcement his name and referred to himself as God and Superman, according to the hour-long video released through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. He is also heard referencing the 2026 gubernatorial race and threatening to kick an opponent’s “f—king teeth in.”
“It doesn’t matter, my friend, trust me,” he said when an officer asked for his name. “I’m one of the most just humans to ever walk this soil,” he said.
“Superman sounds good,” he continued.
“I’m gonna kick your f–king teeth in,” he also said at one point, apparently referencing his competition, Republican Attorney General Alan Wilson. Wilson announced his gubernatorial campaign earlier this summer.
McLeod also reportedly said the n-word at least twice in the video. He also rebuffed officers’ requests to exit the patrol car once they arrived at the jail, and told an officer he would sleep in the back seat, according to the report.
“No, I’m not doing it, no. I’m not getting out of this car. It’s time to go to bed,” he shouted at the officer, before he was removed from the car by force and booked into jail, an arrest report obtained by WCBD details.
The arrest report alleged that McLeod’s eyes were “extremely bloodshot and highly dilated…typical of an individual under the influence of a stimulant narcotic. The report did not disclose if he was tested for drugs during the arrest.
McLeod is facing misdemeanor charges for disorderly conduct, according to the report.
South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Christale Spain released a statement on Wednesday calling for McLeod to step down from the race in light of the dash cam footage.
“After reviewing the transcript of the dash cam footage from his recent arrest, it is clear that Mr. McLeod is navigating profound challenges and should focus on his mental and emotional well-being instead of a campaign for governor,” Spain said. “We offer him compassion and pray he finds the support he needs.”
McLeod’s campaign did not respond immediately to the Post’s request for comment, however, McLeod called his unrest “unlawful” in a recent interview announcing his bid for governor.
“The only thing I’d ask the voters is to please give me a little bit of grace and know that long before we go to Election Day, they’ll know exactly what happened,” he told the Post and Courier.
“And when they learn what happened around my unlawful arrest, it will be a reason why I absolutely need to be our state’s governor,” he said, adding that he had been exercising his “God-given, constitutional right to be in a public place” when he was arrested.
McLeod served two terms as Charleston County Democratic Party chairman. He also ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2010.
Breitbart News
Read the full article .
