The Burned Bridges Of Madison Cawthorn

GOP Rep. Madison Cawthorn keeps getting into trouble again and again, and while he may be the youngest member of the House, he's learned the lesson that Republicans are never held accountable for any reason.

U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina told supporters he thought Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was a "thug"—a comment that runs counter to the overwhelming share of Republicans with a favorable view of the leader fending off a military invasion from Russia.

"Remember that Zelenskyy is a thug," Cawthorn said in a video obtained by WRAL. "Remember that the Ukrainian government is incredibly corrupt and is incredibly evil and has been pushing woke ideologies."

It was unclear where the video was taken. Cawthorn had a number of events in the state over the weekend.

On Thursday afternoon, one hour after WRAL reported the comments, Cawthorn appeared to walk back his comments, saying on Twitter that Russian President Vladimir's actions are "disgusting."

"I am praying for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people," he added.

Cawthorn, who is running for reelection in the state's westernmost district, faces a string of primary challengers.

One of his 11th Congressional District opponents, Michele Woodhouse, called the comments out of touch and “boorish" and said she considers Zelenskyy "a hero."

Republican state Sen. Chuck Edwards, who is taking up a more ideologically centered lane in his primary bid against Cawthorn, clapped back on the congressman's remarks.

"Let’s be clear. The thug is Vladimir Putin," Edwards wrote on Twitter. "We must unite as a nation to pray for President Zelenskyy and the brave people of Ukraine who are fighting for their lives and their freedom. Anything less is counter to everything we stand for in America."

 

And if you think Cawthorn is going to pay for this in the primary this spring, understand that it doesn't matter at all.

North Carolina Congressman Madison Cawthorn is facing multiple charges after three separate traffic incidents in three different counties.

On Monday, Oct. 18, 2021, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol says just before 1 p.m. troopers conducted a traffic stop involving a white 2009 Dodge passenger vehicle for a speed violation on I-40 near mile marker 59 in Buncombe County. The driver, identified as David Madison Cawthorn, 26, was charged on a citation for traveling 89-mph in a 65-mph zone and was given a court date of Jan. 4, 2022, in Buncombe County District Court.

A few months later, on Saturday, Jan. 8, just before 6:30 p.m., troopers again stopped a 2009 Dodge passenger vehicle for a speeding violation, this time on US 74 in Polk County. The driver, Cawthorn, was charged with speeding 87-mph in a 70-mph zone and was given a court date of Monday, April 18 in Columbus.

Nearly two months later, Cawthorn was again pulled over, this time on Thursday, March 3 at approximately 10:30 p.m., this time in a 2019 Toyota, for a left of center violation on US 74B in Cleveland County.

According to Highway Patrol Spokesperson Sgt. Marcus Bethea, during the course of the investigation it was determined that the driver’s license was in a state of revocation and he was subsequently charged with driving while license revoked. Cawthorn was given a court date of Friday, May 6 in Shelby.

 

Again, Cawthorn has faced multiple issues in the 14 months he's been in office, not to mention his role in the January 6th seditious insurrection against the government hes a part of. But accountability is something that doesn't happen to Republicans.

Until that changes, we don't have a democracy at all.