A South Carolina Democrat is facing calls to withdraw from the governor’s race after a video surfaced showing him screaming obscenities at police officers during a narcotics episode.
Dashcam footage shows William McLeod swearing and yelling at officers for nearly 20 minutes in the back of the cop car, calling himself “god” and “superman,” and using the n-word twice.
The video circulated online after it was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, according to the New York Post.
McLeod is currently the only Democratic runner for the 2026 South Carolina gubernatorial race. The prominent Charleston lawyer ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2010 and has served two terms as the Charleston County Democratic Party Chairman.
His party has requested that he withdraw from the race.
“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,” the chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party, Christale Spain, said in a statement Wednesday.
“We offer him compassion and pray he finds the support he needs.”
But McLeod has shown no intent of backing down. His campaign team labeled the arrest “unlawful.” McLeod himself has touted the incident as a reason why he should be elected.
“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.
He did not elaborate as to why.
McLeod was arrested on May 15 after he was found “yelling at the top of his lungs” while walking near the Battery in Charleston in only his underwear and shoes.
McLeod’s eyes were “extremely bloodshot and highly dilated … typical of an individual under the influence of a stimulant narcotic,” a preliminary incident report obtained by WCBD said.
When an officer asked for his name, McLeod replied, “It doesn’t matter, my friend, trust me. I’m one of the most just humans to ever walk this soil.”
“Superman works,” he added.
He also launched a tirade against one of his Republican opponents, Alan Wilson, the current Attorney General of South Carolina. “I will kick your teeth in … I’m going to kick every one of them in. If I do kick them in, you don’t know any dentist.”
He also seemingly threatened to kidnap Wilson’s German Shepherd: “When I’m governor, Snoop is coming with me,” he said.
It is unclear where the name Snoop came from. Wilson has a German Shepherd named Lucy.
McLeod refused to get out of the car when they arrived at the police station, saying he would sleep in the backseat. “No, I’m not doing it, no. I’m not getting out of this car. It’s time to go to bed.” He was forcibly removed and booked into jail around 1 a.m.
He currently faces misdemeanor charges for disorderly conduct.
He claimed that he had been exercising his “God-given, constitutional right to be in a public place” when he was arrested.
“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.
Wilson responded to McLeod’s threats in a statement on Wednesday, saying, “I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he means in a general election, not a street fight,” Wilson said.
He preferred to focus on his campaign rather than on McLeod’s remarks: “My plan for bold, conservative leadership is spreading, and my record of defending President Trump, parental rights, and the rule of law has put a target on my back. But we’re not slowing down, and I’m not done fighting for South Carolina families.”
