After viral mistake, Mecklenburg Sheriff Garry McFadden faces GOP calls to resign
Charlotte Republicans are calling on Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden to step down over a viral gaffe at a committee hearing as he faces continued questions about his testimony.
McFadden, a Democrat, appeared Monday alongside other local leaders at a hearing on crime in Charlotte held by the Republican-controlled House Select Committee on Oversight and Reform in Raleigh.
The embattled sheriff, currently under investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation, faced the harshest questioning. He declined to answer multiple questions during the hearing, citing the ongoing investigation. That appeared to frustrate committee members, who accused the sheriff of deflecting blame.
On Tuesday, the Mecklenburg County Republican Party called for McFadden’s resignation over another moment during the hearing: McFadden incorrectly answering questions about the branches of government in the U.S.
Asked what branch of government his position falls under, McFadden said “Mecklenburg County.” He then couldn’t answer a follow-up question asking what the three branches of government are. After the committee listed the three branches, McFadden said his position would fall under the judicial branch. The committee corrected him, saying the sheriff is part of the executive branch.
The moment has since spread among conservative and right wing social media accounts.
The Mecklenburg GOP’s statement said it “revealed what can only be described as a shocking lack of understanding of the most basic structure of American government.”
“This moment is bigger than a viral clip. It demonstrates the current sheriff’s total lack of accountability, competence and respect for the citizens of Mecklenburg County,” party Chairman Kyle Kirby said. “Public office is a responsibility, and Sheriff McFadden has failed miserably not just in this moment, but throughout his tenure.”
Republican state Rep. Brenden Jones, who co-chairs the committee and ran Monday’s hearing, alluded to McFadden’s gaffe in a social media post Wednesday containing a letter to McFadden demanding more information from the sheriff.
“Due to Sheriff McFadden’s laughable testimony, constant deflections, and refusal to turn over documents, our follow-up demand letter has been sent,” Jones wrote on X. “Just know he’ll be back to answer for his failures, and hopefully he’ll learn the branches of government by then.”
McFadden, through a sheriff’s office spokesperson, declined to comment on the Republican Party’s statement. He invoked the William Ernest Henley poem “Invictus” on social media Wednesday, quoting the lines “My head is bloody, but unbowed” and “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.” The post also included what appeared to be an ai-generated graphic featuring McFadden in uniform, a stormy sky and fake newspaper pages referencing recent issues.
“I didn’t die from the Public Display of The Oversight Committee’s Rope or while attempted to be pulled back into The Bucket. I am Still Alive making HISTORY and making BLACK HISTORY each day!” the graphic says. Multiple artificial intelligence detectors say there’s a high probability the graphic was generated by ai.
Asked about the GOP resignation call, Mecklenburg County Democratic Party Chairman Wesley Harris told The Charlotte Observer the legislature’s actions distract from the fact that the GOP-dominated General Assembly still hasn’t passed a budget.
“The people of North Carolina would be better served if they would focus on doing the job they were elected to do rather than trying to stir up fake outrage against other duly elected constitutional officers,” Harris said.
McFadden faces three challengers in his bid for reelection this year. The Democratic primary is March 3.
A judge last month dismissed a petition to remove McFadden from office that alleged misconduct and mismanagement for procedural reasons. But that effort could be revived pending the results of the SBI’s investigation.
This story was originally published February 11, 2026 at 11:30 AM.
