Governor McMaster - Pamela Evette for Governor of South Carolina

‘Brilliant’ to ‘avoidable;’ SC lawmakers react after US strikes Iranian nuclear sites

By Perrin Moore, originally posted June 22, 2025 by ABC News 4

SOUTH CAROLINA (WCIV) — From gleeful celebrations, dutiful deference, and posts laden with American flag emojis to notable silence, continued doubt, and questions over lack of congressional approval, lawmakers from across the Palmetto State are offering their reactions to the US military’s bombing operation in the Middle East late Saturday night.

The strikes enacted under “Operation Midnight Hammer” targeted the Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz nuclear facilities in Iran, utilizing American B-2 stealth bombers and the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, a 30,000-pound bunker-buster bomb, according to U.S. officials.

ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA – JUNE 22: An operational timeline of a strike on Iran is displayed during a news conference with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Dan Caine and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon on June 22, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. U.S. President Donald Trump gave an address to the nation last night after three Iranian nuclear facilities were struck by the U.S. military. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

US Senate

US Senators Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott immediately voiced their support for President Donald Trump in the wake of the attacks. Graham has long offered full-throated support for escalation with Iran, saying that the decision to drop bombs Saturday was “the right call” and that “the regime deserves it.”

Sen. Graham joined Meet the Press Sunday morning and called the operation “bold, brilliant, and effective,” saying President Trump is “the right leader at the right time.” In a later post, Graham said he’s “never been more proud of President Trump.”

Sen. Scott, who was in Charleston Saturday night, labelled Trump’s actions as “decisive American leadership.”

“Americans and the world can thank President Trump for his courage to lead,” Scott concluded.

US House

Rep. Nancy Mace (SC-01) unleashed a predictably enthusiastic flurry of star-spangled posts on her personal X account, with one of her fi rst statements after reposting the President’s message saying “I really hope those bunker buster bombs were paid for using taxpayer dollars originally meant for DEI programs.”

The Lowcountry representative went on to post “USA! USA! USA!” and multiple clips of Fox News coverage of Trump’s 10 p.m. address, calling him the “greatest president in American history” and saying “God Bless the United States of America.”

The congresswoman wrote “Clean up on aisle Tehran” despite the nearest site hit, Fordow, being an almost 80-mile, two-hour drive from the Iranian capital, and “Who wants to bet a federal judge in California orders President Trump tomorrow morning to rebuild Iran’s nuclear program,” which has not happened as of noon Sunday.

On her official congressional X account, Mace thanked the President, saying there was “no greater friend and ally of Israel and the Jewish people” than him, called the attacks “history in the making,” and said that Trump “just reminded Iran and the whole world: THIS is America. Not the weakness we saw the past four years.”

Rep. Russell Fry (SC-07), a Republican, labelled the military action as “Peace through strength and promises kept” on his personal account, while reiterating the common refrain that “Iran CANNOT have a nuclear weapon” on his official account.

Rep. Sheri Biggs (SC-03), a combat veteran, expressed appreciation for the “precision and exceptionalism” of the US military and thanked the President, Rep. Ralph Norman (SC-05)said Trump’s decision was a defense of democracy “around the world,” and Rep. William Timmons (SC-04), a captain in the Air National Guard, said the attacks sent a clear message that “the US will defend our interests and our allies.”

Republican Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-02) said that “enemies of America” insulted President Trump’s efforts in peace negotiations, instead pursuing “apocalyptic delusions.”

“Assad was warned in 2017. The Iranian regime was warned. War criminal Putin has been warned,” Wilson wrote. “President Trump will not hesitate to act when tested.”

Rep. Jim Clyburn (SC-06), a Democrat who was notably silent online in the aftermath of the bombings save a Sunday morning post about the GI Bill, posted a statement on X later calling the President’s unilateral decision to attack without congressional approval “unconstitutional and unwise.”

“This move, a rash sequel to his withdrawal from the nuclear deal, puts our nation, our troops, and innocents at grave risk,” the congressman said. “Trump promised to be a peacemaker and vowed to avoid plunging the U.S. into more wars in the Middle East. This attack is inconsistent with his promise to the American people.”

State level

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster wrote on X that the attacks ensure “the safety of our nation and our allies like Israel,” and that he stands with American troops.

Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette thanked President Trump for “putting the safety of America and Americans FIRST!” and that the “goal of showing U.S. strength is peace.”

Attorney General Alan Wilson said he was “so proud” of the military and “leadership of President Trump.”

Local officials with military backgrounds like state senators Ed Sutton and Matt Leber differed on their opinions of the operation.

Sen. Sutton, an Air Force pilot and Democrat, decried the money war would cost and the threat to American lives that could follow as “not worth the outcome,” asking “How does bombing Iran benefit US interest?”

“Our own intelligence says Iran does not have a nuclear weapon and they are not close to having a weapon,” Sutton continued. “Iran will retaliate. Americans will be the target. This path was avoidable.”

Sen. Leber, a Republican and former Army paratrooper, wrote that he backed the President. “I, like you, do not have all the details so I am chosing [sic] to back his play and hope and pray for the best outcome,” Leber wrote, accompanied with a meme of a crying, green-haired person saying “Next week’s protests…’Leave Iran’s nukes alone!!!”

A few hours later, Leber called for increased efforts to deport “foreign criminal aliens,” saying that “activist judges must get the hell out of the commander-in-chief’s way.” The senator would go on to repost a post saying “Let this be a warning, Greenland” before posting the exact same message himself with the creative addition of an American flag emoji shown as greater than the Greenland flag emoji.

SC House Reps. Brandon Guffey and Jordan Pace, both Republicans, seemingly questioned the constitutionality of the strikes. “Didn’t think we could do this without congressional approval,” Guffey wrote, later posting his “favorite meme of the night” showing President Trump on the phone with the text “drop the peaceful bombs.”

Rep. Pace posted the single word “Congress” with a screen shot of Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the US Constitution, which states:

[The Congress shall have Power…] To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;…

Pace had earlier quipped he was “Hopeful!” after President Trump said Wednesday that Iran wanted to visit him at the White House for negotiations to avoid a war days prior to the bombings.

Rep. Jermaine Johnson, an Upstate Democrat exploring a run for Governor, asked, “#MAGA did you vote for America to bomb Iran?”

State Democratic House Minority Leader Rep. Todd Rutherford (SC-47) and Senate Minority Leader Brad Hutto were mum on Saturday evening’s events, as were the state’s Republican House Majority Leader David Hiott (SC-04) and Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCSC) – South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster held a signing Thursday morning of a bill designed to protect South Carolinians from deepfake and revenge pornography.

House Bill H.3058, the Unauthorized Disclosure of Intimate Images Act, creates a felony offense for individuals who share intimate images with the intent to cause physical, mental, economic, or reputational harm to the person depicted.

That includes AI-generated images made to look like real photos of an identifiable person.

“As technology advances, so too must our laws to keep pace with emerging threats and protect personal privacy,” McMaster said. “This legislation sends a clear message that those who harm others by sharing explicit images without their consent will be held fully accountable.”

The governor noted that while a right to privacy is not found in the United States Constitution, it is mentioned in South Carolina’s Constitution.

“So we have a basis for these kinds of laws,” he said. “It can’t be challenged and that’s good news for the people of South Carolina.”

Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, Attorney General Alan Wilson and Rep. Chris Wooten, R-Lexington, the bill’s primary sponsor, joined McMaster for the signing.

“It’s taken a lot of work and the help of our friends in the Senate to get this passed,” Wooten said. “This is a great day in South Carolina, as we are now not the only state that does not have a revenge porn statute. I am proud to have helped mend this together.”

A first offense carries a maximum fine of $5,000 and up to five years in prison. A second or subsequent offense carries a maximum fine of $10,000 and a prison sentence of one to ten years.

The law also establishes penalties for individuals who share intimate images without the intent to cause physical, mental, economic, or reputational harm to the person depicted. A first offense is a misdemeanor, punishable by a maximum fine of $5,000 and up to one year in prison. A second or subsequent offense is classified as a felony, punishable by a maximum fine of $5,000 and up to five years in prison.

The legislation defines “digitally forged intimate images” to include images that are created by AI or other computer or machine-generated means.

It also clarifies that a person’s consent to create or privately share an image does not imply consent for the wider distribution of the image.

Thursday morning’s signing was ceremonial because McMaster officially signed the bill on May 12 at which point the law immediately went into effect.

But before that signature earlier this month, the Palmetto State stood alone in the country as the only state that had no law on the books targeting revenge porn.