Like most Republicans, far-right freshman Congressman Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina insists that any measure for common sense gun-law reform is an infringement on the Second Amendment, which he believes is for the purpose of ensuring citizens can rebel against the government.
Cawthorn is also convinced that American citizens with guns could overpower the U.S. Military, which was allocated a $714 billion budget last year.
As evidence to support this belief, Cawthorn pointed to the Viet Cong, the communist guerilla militia that fought against the United States during the Vietnam War.
Cawthorn was attempting to argue that assault weapons, which are designed for the express purpose of killing the maximum amount of people in as little time as possible, are necessary to defend against the United States Government—the same government that signs Cawthorn's paychecks.
Watch below.
Rep Madison Cawthorn: "If anybody ever wants to say 'oh, well you know what, citizens with a few small arms fire would never be able to stop the federal government' - I absolutely disagree. Ask the Viet Cong how they handled the Marines and the Army in Vietnam"pic.twitter.com/BPqn3d9Rsx— Jason Campbell (@Jason Campbell) 1623880132
In an interview on right-wing disinformation outlet Newsmax, Cawthorn said:
"The Second Amendment is not written for sporting. The Second Amendment is so that if the tyrannical government ever wants to rise up, we can stop them. If anybody ever wants to say, 'oh, well you know what, citizens with a few small arms fire would never be able to stop the federal government'—I absolutely disagree. Ask the Viet Cong how they handled the Marines and the Army in Vietnam."
Long considered one of the United States' most shameful wars, the Vietnam War saw mass casualties on both sides. Though the U.S. ultimately lost the war, its effects devastated Vietnam and its people for decades to come.
In addition to backing from the North Vietnam Military, the Viet Cong also had backing from communist allies like China and the Soviet Union—they weren't average citizens.
People responded with history lessons.
Dear @RepCawthorn: Many Vietnamese and Americans tragically lost their lives in the Vietnam war. Also, the US Marines and Army won every major battle in Vietnam. You should learn history, and stop diminishing the sacrifice of our Vietnam Veterans and those who never came back.https://twitter.com/jasonscampbell/status/1405281246620512261\u00a0\u2026— Ted Lieu (@Ted Lieu) 1623904954
Aside from the fact that this un-American poltroon is slagging the U.S. military, allow me to point out the historical record, which is that the VC basically ceased to exist after the Tet Offensive in 1968. But why expect a member of Congress to know stuff. /1https://twitter.com/JasonSCampbell/status/1405281246620512261\u00a0\u2026— Tom Nichols (@Tom Nichols) 1623889946
Marines killed in Vietnam: 14,844 per NARA. Army soldiers killed in Vietnam: 38,224 per NARA. Out of the 58,220 casualty records, 47,434 were hostile deaths. PAVN/VC deaths reported as 1.1 million in 1995 by the Vietnamese government and those are not even the highest estimates.https://twitter.com/jasonscampbell/status/1405281246620512261\u00a0\u2026— James LaPorta (@James LaPorta) 1623903133
The Viet Cong taught us that a small guerrilla army backed by another nation's regular army, with all war production done by two hostile superpowers, receiving substantial logistical support from hostile superpowers, who can run supply lines through neutral third countries...https://twitter.com/JasonSCampbell/status/1405281246620512261\u00a0\u2026— Stan "Cool kids get vaccines" O. (@Stan "Cool kids get vaccines" O.) 1623885710
Ah yes, after we sort through the nearly 4 million deaths during that war, I\u2019m sure there\u2019s a good argument in there somewhere for giving American civilians easy access to K-50 submachine guns.https://twitter.com/jasonscampbell/status/1405281246620512261\u00a0\u2026— Shannon Watts (@Shannon Watts) 1623895303
People didn't know where to begin with how absurd the statement was.
Imagine. If. Ilhan. Omar. Said. This!!https://twitter.com/jasonscampbell/status/1405281246620512261\u00a0\u2026— Mehdi Hasan (@Mehdi Hasan) 1623885610
If I said this, you can bet my email would be flooded by patriotic Americans (and Vietnamese Americans) telling me to "love it or leave it, commie!"https://twitter.com/JasonSCampbell/status/1405281246620512261\u00a0\u2026— Viet Thanh Nguyen (@Viet Thanh Nguyen) 1623893509
Who would they be shooting? US soldiers? Cops? Secret service agents? Elected officials?\n\nPlease be specific, Madison.https://twitter.com/JasonSCampbell/status/1405281246620512261\u00a0\u2026— Charlie Sykes (@Charlie Sykes) 1623930225
Democrats are Communists, while real Americans seek to emulate the Viet Cong.https://twitter.com/JasonSCampbell/status/1405281246620512261\u00a0\u2026— Seth Masket (@Seth Masket) 1623887953
Cawthorn hasn't addressed the controversy yet.
@haubenmeise/Reddit
@walrusbwalrus/Reddit
@LasagnaPhD/Reddit
@turdferusonRI/Reddit
@jeanie.online/Threads
Lev Parnas (@levparnas.bsky.social)
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social