Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) admitted to GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy he ‘exaggerated’ allegations of DC degeneracy. Cawthorn’s claims caused consternation across Congress.
Summary
Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) admitted to GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy he ‘exaggerated’ allegations of DC degeneracy.
- In a podcast interview the youngest member of Congress alleged leaders he “looked up to” invited him to an orgy and did cocaine in front of him.
- The 26-year-old Congressman’s claims that colleagues had invited him to orgies and he had observed “leading national anti-addiction officials [using] cocaine” earned him a dressing-down from the top two House Republicans.
- The House Republican leader said Cawthorn had “lost my trust” and could face punishment for “repeated actions that were ‘not becoming’ for a congressman.”
- Rep. Cawthorn’s salacious allegations caused an internal uproar among House Republicans, earning him rebukes from across the conference.
- Cawthorn’s admission his allegations were “untrue” and “exaggerated” is the latest twist in this bizarre story.
- Cawthorn had already earned himself a primary challenge from a well-funded NC state senator for his previous comments, charges of driving with a revoked license that could land him jail time and perceived lack of effectiveness in Washington.
- The New York Times visited Cawthorn’s Western North Carolina district, where the 26-year-old’s antics – including incendiary comments, record as a serial fabulist, attempt to bring a gun through airport security and charges of driving with a revoked license – have jeopardized his bid for a second term.
- Leader McCarthy spoke with Axios about the Cawthorn imbroglio. McCarthy indicated further action against Cawthorn was possible over his “unacceptable” comments that “set off a firestorm” among House Republicans. McCarthy said under questioning Cawthorn admitted in reality Cawthorn thought “he saw maybe a staffer in a parking garage from 100 yards away.”
- Slate’s coverage of House Republicans’ anger at Cawthorn for “claiming they’re cool as hell” compared McCarthy’s talking-to with his youngest Congressman to a trip to the principal’s office.
- Fox News reported in more detail Cawthorn’s cocaine-and-orgy comments that prompted his sit-down with Leader McCarthy.
- The Daily Wire covered the reactions of the conservative House Freedom Caucus to Cawthorn’s allegations. HFC Chair Scott Perry (R-PA) called on Cawthorn to put up or shut up and name names and vowed to talk with Cawthorn about the incident.
- A Washington Examiner columnist expressed anger at McCarthy for not punishing GOP members who voted against her policy preferences like supporting Biden’s infrastructure bill or advocating a misguided-yet-popular Ukraine no-fly zone. She called Cawthorn’s comments “dumb” but “not even the worst thing Cawthorn has said this month!”
Author’s Take
Madison Cawthorn’s youth is no excuse for his boneheaded comments that, as the Daily Wire put it, “D.C. is [an] orgy-filled, cocaine-fueled den of debauchery.” Cawthorn is the same age as this author and frankly it’s embarrassing the first and so far, only member of Congress born in the 1990’s is such an unserious person.
The next oldest member of Congress is Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Instagram). Both members’ severe cases of foot-in-mouth disease and shallow understanding of policy do a disservice to the issues that younger Americans care about that differ from their elders.
One would hope the gravity of their offices and their role in the American constitutional system would have made them grow up and take their jobs seriously. Cawthorn was granted an immense opportunity thanks to a fluke primary win against a Donald Trump-backed opponent. It’s a shame he’s wasting it.
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© Dominic Moore, 2022
