Far-right Congressman Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina has frequently embraced religious extremism, white nationalism, and violence to exacerbate his base's animosity toward Democrats.
While defending the Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol in a deadly failed insurrection this past January, Cawthorn hinted at a repeat of the riots and warned there would be "bloodshed" if Democrats continued on the current path. He cited the Viet Cong's killing of American troops as an example for how everyday Americans can take up arms against the government.
And on Monday, Cawthorn was accused of calling for a "holy war" in a bizarre new video making the rounds on Twitter.
Watch below
Cawthorn says in the video:
"I feel a spiritual battle going on on Capitol Hill. The only way that we take our country back is when strong, god-fearing patriots decide it is time for us to stand up and say no to your tyranny. Now is the time for our pastor and our congregations to stand up and declare boldly that as men and women of faith, we have a duty to stand against tyranny, we have a duty to be civically involved, we have a duty to save this country for the next generation."
He continues:
"It is time for the American Christian church to come out of the shadows, to say no longer are we going to allow our culture to be determined by people who hate the things that we believe in. ... If we lose this country today, if we bend the knee to the Democrats today, our country will be lost forever and our children will never know what freedom is."
The extremist sentiment raised alarm bells on social media.
Cawthorn's biblical literacy was also called into question.
Cawthorn is up for reelection in 2022.
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