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Rep. Madison Cawthorn’s remarks about “sexual perversion” and drug use in Washington have drawn the ire of fellow Republicans. Some appear to believe the North Carolina conservative was accusing his own party members.
Cawthorn, during an interview with a far-right podcast last month, alleged “people he looked up to” in Washington had invited him to attend orgies and did cocaine in front of him.
And you can tell from the reactions which party feels most targeted by his remarks. Democrats — knowing it seems unlikely Cawthorn was referring to them — have been having a lot of fun with his allegations.
Republicans aren't enjoying the episode as much.
Michele Woodhouse, a former Cawthorn supporter who is now challenging him in next month's primary, questioned whether the orgy/cocaine allegations were a “publicity stunt” and called his recent behavior “irresponsible.”
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., on Thursday endorsed another Republican primary candidate, saying Cawthorn had “fallen well short of the most basic standard western North Carolina expects from their representatives.”
Tillis’ rare opposition to an incumbent within his own party came just days after House Republicans expressed anger over Cawthorn's remarks in a closed-door meeting on Tuesday. On Wednesday, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy met with Cawthorn and Republican leadership to discuss his comments.
That alone was surprising.
Cawthorn previously faced condemnation stemming from allegations of racism, his threat of “bloodshed” over nonexistent widespread voter fraud, and taking a gleeful trip to Hitler’s vacation home in Germany in 2017. But establishment Republicans in Congress — always reluctant to punish him — seem to have finally drawn a line in the sand here. Suggesting Republicans are promiscuous drug abusers is evidently going too far.
“I lost my trust in him,” McCarthy said he told Cawthorn, adding that there “could be” consequences for his claims. He told Axios that Cawthorn admitted the claims were “exaggerated." Cawthorn, however, hasn’t made any public statements about the claims since his meeting with McCarthy.
The only thing we’ve heard from Cawthorn even approaching a response is an ad he posted Thursday on Twitter claiming the “radical left, the establishment, and the media” are trying to take him down.
If he’s referring to establishment Republicans, he’s probably on to something. But he can rest assured, the so-called radical left and the media — when it comes to these allegations, at least — definitely won’t be trying to silence him.