Freshman Republican Representative Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina is in hot water after an incriminating clip of him calling into a conservative talk show during the January 6 insurrection resurfaced on social media.
In the clip, Cawthorn told far-right provocateur Charlie Kirk he was heavily armed and used his wheelchair to transport "multiple weapons" into the Capitol on January 6. Bringing weapons into the Capitol is a crime under federal law.
Cawthorn is one of a handful of far-right Republican lawmakers, including Representatives Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who are believed by many to have been involved in the January 6 attack.
See the video of Cawthorn's January 6 interview below.
In the interview, which occurred during the assault on the Capitol itself, Cawthorn described to Kirk what he was doing during the insurrection that was happenin
"As you know I believe in the Second Amendment as well as a lot of other members, so we are armed, we're in a safe location. Can't disclose where..."
"...[O]bviously having the wheelchair I'm able to carry many multiple weapons at one time."
"So you know, everyone around me is armed and you know, I think an armed society is a polite society, so I feel very safe."
"We don't have any high nerves here. Everybody's very, very calm, very sober-minded."
Many have pointed out Cawthorn's admission he was carrying "multiple weapons" in his wheelchair can be construed as an implication he had come to the Capitol that day prepared for the insurrection ahead of time.
Cawthorn has in fact been heavily implicated in the planning of the events of January 6. Last fall, two people who were involved and are cooperating with federal investigations told authorities they attended "dozens" of planning meetings with White House staffers and members of Congress, including Cawthorn.
On Twitter, the instantly viral clip struck many as suspicious and incriminating.
Cawthorn was recently the subject of a lawsuit in his home state of North Carolina aimed at barring him for running for reelection under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, on the basis of his support for the insurrection. A federal judge blocked the lawsuit earlier this month.
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