Angry GOP protests ‘bizarre’ claims by Madison Cawthorn’s DC Orgy and says ‘names’

After Representative Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) went on a podcast and accused some of his Republican colleagues in Congress of being regular degenerates and fond of strong drugs, members of the House of Representatives The institute had a simple response on Tuesday.

To name.

That’s what Congressman Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) said when asked about Cawthorn’s bombshell remarks, which, without regard to anyone in particular, ended up creating a strange cloud of suspicion for all his colleagues.

“It paints the picture here incorrectly,” says Crenshaw. “The names. Let’s see who he hangs out with.”

That sentiment was also expressed privately, as the House GOP Group gathered for their weekly meeting Tuesday morning.

According to Politico, the legislators stood up and vented their frustration that their 26-year-old colleague from North Carolina would suggest that lawmakers “lead the movement to try to eliminate addiction.” ” would “make a piece of cocaine in front of you” or the people “I have admired all my life” in Congress invited him to a “sexual encounter” at their home as Cawthorn told the podcast. of the Warrior Poets Association.

The backlash was so intense that House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy told his conference he planned to speak with Cawthorn about the allegations.

Meanwhile, several House Republican lawmakers approached by The Daily Beast to discuss the latest Cawthorn controversy declined to comment or say much about the episode.

“I don’t know anything about what Madison was referring to,” said Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH), a right-wing leader of the conference that includes Cawthorn. “I’ve heard about it; I have not watched the video”.

Among the Republicans who weighed, the prevailing attitude was genuine bewilderment. Sure, there have been politicians who have made the headlines in recent years for their partying, but coke and organize?

“I’ve been here a decade, and aside from the fact that we’ve just been cruel to each other, on so many levels, it’s one of the most boring places,” said Congressman David Schweikert (R-AZ). “Really, it’s one of the most mediocre places you can imagine.”

The vision of a dirty and dingy DC that Cawthorn painted in his interview – which he openly compared to Netflix’s best drama Dealer—Makes some longtime legislators laugh back. By the narrative of practically anyone who’s ever been a part of it, DC politics is like Veepor a political version of Office.

Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-TX) said Tuesday’s caucus was Tuesday’s caucus was the first he’d heard of Cawthorn’s comments.

“I haven’t seen those parties. So I need to learn more about it before I comment, because that seems pretty weird,” he told The Daily Beast.

For many legislators, Cawthorn can re-imagine what for many legislators, an hour-long and torturous place into, unsurprisingly, a nest of guilt, based on merit. his.

He suggested that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who does not drink, is an alcoholic. He told MAGA character Charlie Kirk that he brought “many weapons” to the US Capitol on January 6.

When he ran for Congress in 2020, part of Cawthorn’s story was that he had enlisted in the United States Naval Academy as a high school student before a car accident left him paralyzed from the waist down. back down. In fact, his job application was rejected well before his accident. He has boasted that he had a “chance” to compete in the Paralympic Games, but extensive reporting found no evidence to support that claim.

In recent months, Cawthorn has sparked a series of controversies that damage his standing, capped by his accusations that Ukraine’s president is a “thug” who runs a “policy”. evil government”.

But even by Cawthorn standards, orgy-and-coke claims have reached new heights. On Tuesday, two North Carolina GOP senators, Richard Burr and Thom Tillis, both expressed attitudes to their colleagues. Burr called him a “embarrassment at times” while Tillis told reporters he “lacked judgment” and “didn’t do much” for his region.

Republican lawmakers have reason to be angry when they make those statements — perhaps more so because they could affect their standing with the party base.

Cawthorn’s story of “sexual perversions” has resonated greatly on right-wing conspiracy theories such as The Gateway Pundit and InfoWars.

The comment sections on a Gateway Pundit post about Cawthorn’s allegations were filled with readers connecting his claims to Pizzagate, the discredited conspiracy theory that Washington power players sexually abused Children in a pizzeria in Washington. Others worry that Cawthorn might be murdered because of his brave way of blowing the whistle.

One commenter wrote: “I wish he would name those names.

Cawthorn’s allegations align well with QAnon, a pro-Trump conspiracy theory that, like Pizzagate, claims that an elite group of Satanic sexual villains is in control of Washington.

“Oops, don’t think he has to tell anyone about it…” a prominent QAnon promoter wrote on the social media app Telegram.

As they worked their way through frustration, laughter, and confusion, however, some Republican lawmakers seemed impatient with a colleague whose potential for headaches and controversy seemed endless.

“I don’t even know what to do with it, man,” Crenshaw said. “I’m just a little exhausted from it.”