Trump taps McMaster for bipartisan Council of Governors

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) — South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has been tapped by President Donald Trump to join the Council of Governors.

The bipartisan group of 10 governors — five from each major political party — is tasked with strengthening collaboration between states and the federal government on national security, disaster response, and military coordination issues.

“Thank you, President Trump, for the opportunity to serve on the Council of Governors,” McMaster wrote in a Feb. 20 post on X (formerly Twitter). “I look forward to working with my fellow governors to strengthen disaster response and national security efforts for South Carolina and our country.”

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and North Carolina Governor Josh Stein will serve as co-chairs.

Also appointed to the council were Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.

The council was established by the National Defense Authorization Act of 2008 and formally created through a 2010 executive order.

McMaster is in Washington, D.C. this week to attend the winter meetings of the National Governors Association and Republican Governors Association.