WATCH: Lt. Gov. Evette says she won’t apologize for calling SC State protestors ‘woke mob’

Watch Evette’s full comments from Thursday in the video above this story.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette once again responded a day after being removed as the commencement speaker at South Carolina State University.

SC State, the state’s only publicly funded historically Black university, made the announcement on Wednesday following student protests and concerns over security at the May 8 event.

Students argued that the choice to invite Evette, who is also running as a Republican candidate for governor, did not align with the school’s views and principles. They specifically cited her stances against diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as her close alignment with President Donald Trump.

Evette initially responded by saying the protests were part of a “woke mob” against her in a video posted on her social media accounts on Tuesday. She again referred to the protest being a “woke mob” during a press conference on Wednesday and was asked to clarify her stance on Thursday after an event at the South Carolina State House.

“Let’s just start calling things for what they are. That is what it was,” said Evette. “I don’t understand why it turned into that.”

She was later pressed further about her use of the term “mob” and its potential historical and racial implications.

“I saw the pictures,” said Evette. “That, to me, is what it appeared to be. It was a mob of people. We see that happening all over our country. Many times, it’s not even students. Like, who made up all of that? Was it all students? Was it other people brought in? Let’s start calling things for what they are instead of pretending.”

Evette added that she did not plan on apologizing for using the term.

The lieutenant governor also said she was first invited to speak at SC State’s commencement as far back as December.

“I’m not quite sure why I was invited in December,” said Evette. “I was pro-Trump in December. I was anti-DEI in December. And I was pro-life in December. Nothing has changed. So I think what you should be asking the leaders on that college campus what changed.”

She also claimed that Republicans like herself, McMaster and Trump have “done more for historically black colleges and universities” than other leaders. Evette specifically cited SC State’s ongoing construction projects as proof of that and claimed professors are engaging in “indoctrination.”

“All that building was given to them [SC State] by a General Assembly that is Republican dominated,” she said. “So, again, why are college professors not teaching facts? We’ve got to go back to facts over feelings. This should be what college is about. I’ve said it over and over again. Teachers should be teaching our kids to critically think. They should not be teaching them what to think.”

During a board of trustees meeting at SC State on Thursday, Chairman Douglas Gantt said he was the one who guided the decision to bring Evette to commencement. He added that the school’s president, Alexander Conyers, was wrongfully ridiculed over it.

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