In a video from a polling place in Orangeburg County, S.C., a man can be seen whipping his hat at the person filming. That was just moments before a scuffle broke out.
According to WIS 10, a local outlet that obtained the video, the camouflage patterned hat said “Let’s Go Brandon” on it. That phrase became a popular code with supporters of former President Donald Trump for “F**k Joe Biden,” in 2021 – Audacy has more information about how the trend started here.
As the video – captioned “early voting gone wild” – started, the man appeared to be in an argument with women identified by WIS 10 as poll workers. He yelled expletives that were bleeped out by the station and at one point took off the hat and pushed it into one of the worker’s faces.
“Wow,” said a voiceover on the video.
State law in South Carolina prohibits political literature and displays within 500 hundred feet of polling place entrances, per a report from the South Carolina Daily Gazette. Poll managers are given the authority to “use every reasonable means” to make sure polling places are clear of these items.
“At poll managers’ request, law enforcement officers will remove anything ‘distributed or displayed’ in violation of the law,” said the Gazette.
Video from the Orangeburg County Library polling location shows the man continuing to fight with poll workers and whipping his hat at the person recording before he turned and appears to swat a woman away with his arm. Then, three of the poll workers blocked him as he tried to move around the room.
“Take him outside,” said one of the poll workers.
Sources cited by WIS 10 said the Orangeburg County Department of Public Safety responded to the incident. According to the Gazette, a spokeswoman for the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division confirmed Thursday that it is investigating the fight – apparently the first investigation of a conflict at the polls for this general election.
While poll workers had been trained to not allow “Let’s Go Brandon” clothing as electioneering, Howard Knapp, director of the state Election Commission, told The Post and Courier that it may not longer qualify since President Biden is no longer a candidate. However, Democrat candidate Vice President Kamala Harris is a high-ranking member of Biden’s administration.
Anyone wearing clothing that may be considered electioneering in South Carolina should expect to be asked to remove it at the polls, per the Gazette’s report.