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by WILL FOLKS
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Prominent South Carolina trial lawyer and Democrat gubernatorial candidate Mullins McLeod continues to rebuke his critics – and defy those calling on him to exit his party’s primary for the Palmetto State’s chief executive office.
The 53-year-old liberal lawyer made it clear last week he was remaining in the 2026 governor’s race despite last week’s release of a damning police video from his May arrest for disorderly conduct. In that video, McLeod conversed with dead lawyers, berated law enforcement, dropped the N-word and threatened his Republican rivals in the governor’s race with physical violence.
Police officers believed McLeod was on drugs at the time – and noted as much in their report from the incident. His former attorney disputed that claim, however.
Sources familiar with the situation have suggested McLeod may have been “over-prescribed” certain medication, although it is not immediately clear what medication (and in what quantity) they are referring to – or whether the alleged “over-prescription” could have prompted such a severe psychotic break.
Whether McLeod’s break was naturally occurring or chemically induced, it was definitionally unhinged – and disturbingly violent. McLeod’s delusion does not appear to have abated in the intervening months, either, as a video posted in the aftermath of the police footage release raised additional questions about his judgment.
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Rather than taking accountability for his actions or offering some rational explanation for his behavior, McLeod invoked religion and framed the fallout from the video as some sort of conspiracy by the political establishment to derail his already listless gubernatorial candidacy.
Never mind that he and his trial lawyer buddies are the political establishment in South Carolina…
Completing the delusion, McLeod claimed he was uniquely equipped to weather this scandal.
“This is the precise moment I have prepared my entire adult life to handle,” he said, referring to the firestorm of controversy surrounding the release of the police video.
Really? Because judging by McLeod’s latest video, released on Sunday afternoon (August 17, 2025), those preparations would seem to be sorely lacking.
Strolling along the Charleston battery, McLeod offered up two insights for his audience.
“I had two thoughts for you,” he began.
Hmmm… were those thoughts 1) a long-overdue apology for publicly disgracing himself and 2) an indication he’s finally rejoined the ranks of the rational-minded by ending his candidacy for governor?
No…
Instead of the apology and accountability the moment calls for, McLeod wanted to parse the police report from his May arrest, which noted he was wearing “only his underwear and shoes” at the time police detained him.
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— Mullins McLeod for SC Governor (@McLeodSCGov) August 17, 2025
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“The way you can tell the difference between underwear and shorts is underwear does not have two front pockets and a drawstring,” McLeod said, pulling out the aforementioned pockets and lifting his shirt to reveal the aforementioned drawstring.
“This is a pair of shorts,” he stated definitively.
Really? I mean, I’m not challenging the man’s definition of plum-smugglers… but is this seriously the hill he wants to die on?
Apparently… or at least one of two hills he wants to die on.
“The second thing I wanted to share with you is… there’s something about being on the water’s edge that makes you feel free,” he continued. “I think that’s why people take their shirt off at the beach – it’s hot – and they feel free. That’s what freedom is all about. On the battery, people walk, run and jog, morning, day and night – oftentimes with their shirts off. Why? Because they’re on the water’s edge and that’s just something that guys do to feel free – and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
“That’s all I got,” McLeod said.
As noted in our coverage of his “break,” McLeod’s candidacy for governor was never going to be viable. But his ongoing disconnection from reality is certainly making his bid a lot more interesting than it might have otherwise been. Like Bulworth on bad acid, Mullins McLeod is embarking into the unknown… and by staying in the governor’s race, he’s taking us all with him on his trip.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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8 comments
Guess that wasn’t his rock bottom moment to start being accountable. Scary to think what his rock bottom moment will be.
It should be a real doozy!
Do you think there is anyone anywhere thinking his actions were ok if he had shorts on?
Wow, just wow… Thanks for the explanation on underwear and under shorts there Mullins. I frequently take my shirt off when it’s reall hot and I’m out exercising. Just not when I’m drunk or high in the middle of the night. The only person who thinks you were in “shorts” and not your undershorts is you. Nothing more goobernatorial than having to explain all this while pulling your pockets out, just glad you didn’t finish the elephant joke…
Don’t buy the over prescribed meds BS. He’s a trial lawyer and he would have sued his doctor by now if that was true.
If a republican candidate had dropped the N-word then this would be the top story across the entire world.
Where are his handlers???
This dude really thinks he is fooling people. What an idiot, albeit an educated and well connected one at least now limited to his Charleston circle. He is obviously high on something if he actually believes the garbage he spewed out in his “explanation” video or thinks anyone else believes him. His use of the N word, slanderous remarks, and overall actions are enough to show the real Mullins McLeod. I wouldn’t let him represent me on a parking ticket and I wouldn’t vote for him as dog catcher. He is a disgrace!