Firestorm as MAGA official retaliates against HBCU: 'We should defund her salary'

The move to pull funding from a South Carolina historically Black university outraged online commentators, as they're shocked by the retaliatory move.

Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette supported calls by GOP state reps to stop funding South Carolina State University because it rescinded an invitation for her to speak at commencement. In a public statement, she said that it was an example of "silenced freedom of speech," but onlookers weren't buying it. Congressional candidate Randi White called Evette a "racist turd" in a post on X.

"You losing a commencement slot isn’t discrimination against conservative views," Matthew Boedy wrote. "No one is silencing your speech, especially not a government institution."

"Dear Senators, HB. 5018 is sitting in Senate Finance and aims to update the salaries of officials such as the Lt. Gov.," South Carolina State Rep. Hamilton Grant wrote. "Perhaps we should defund her salary."

South Carolina political journalist Jamie Harrison pointed out that "when she served as president of her company, she promoted it 'as a female-owned professional employer organization.' Guess only certain types of diversity are now problematic."

Evette is also running for South Carolina governor, touting her ties to Trump along the way, but podcast host Ronald Martin assured Evette in an X post that, "You will never be governor."