Scott Presler Booted from South Dakota GOP Event by Thune Staffer: “Get the Hell Out” — Presler Had the Last Laugh (Video)
Scott Presler, the prominent conservative grassroots activist, was kicked out of a South Dakota GOP event after a staffer for Senate Majority Leader John Thune confronted him and told him to “get the hell out.”
The staffer, Matthew Bruner — a member of the South Dakota GOP and Thune staffer — can be seen in the video telling Presler he was the one enforcing the ban because Presler was posting about the event on Facebook.
Video:
Bruner said: “I’m BIG on Facebook too. And I’m the a**hole saying you can’t come in because guess what? You’re posting this little p*ss and moan session on Facebook. So, you just get the hell out of here. Thank you.”
Presler responded on camera: “You see how the grassroots are welcomed in Senate Majority Leader Thune’s territory?”
Presler, who has built an audience of more than two million across social media platforms through years of voter registration and turnout work, documented the moment. Bruner reportedly had a much smaller following on Facebook.
A second video shows additional context from the exchange.
Video:
Reports and statements from South Carolina GOP Chairman Jim Eschenbaum confirmed that the order to remove Presler came directly from Thune’s office. Bruner was acting under instructions from the Senate Majority Leader’s team.
Presler had the last laugh. The staffer who tried to make a scene and flex authority over a well-known conservative activist quickly lost his position. The episode left many questioning why a grassroots figure who has done so much heavy lifting for Republican victories was treated as unwelcome in Thune’s home state.
The incident underscores the ongoing friction between establishment Republican leadership and the activist base that actually shows up and does the work. Presler continues his efforts without missing a beat, while the attempt to silence him at the event backfired publicly.
Firing the staffer who carried out the order doesn’t erase the fact that the directive originated from Thune’s office. The grassroots saw exactly what happened — and they’re not forgetting it.
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Mark Van der Veen offers some of the most analytical and insightful writings on politics. He regularly opines on the motives and political calculations of politicians and candidates, and whether or not their strategy will work. Van der Veen offers a contrast to many on this list by sticking mainly to a fact-based style of writing that is generally combative with opposing ideologies.
