Former Rep. Madison Cawthorn's (R-NC) shot at returning to Congress suffered a major blow Friday after NOTUS reported the Donald Trump administration wants nothing to do with him.
After a controversial term in the House, where he vied with fellow freshman Republican Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA) and Lauren Boebert (CO) for attention, Cawthorn was ousted by voters in 2022, because, as Ben Collins wrote for New York magazine, his tenure was marred by “a series of self-imposed scandals, controversies, and gaffes. He was repeatedly pulled over speeding while driving without a license, twice took a firearm through airport security, faced allegations of sexual misconduct and insider trading, baselessly accused colleagues of participating in cocaine-fueled orgies, and then there was the weird video of him humping another man."
Cawthorn wants to run for an open House seat vacated by Rep. Byron Donalds (R) representing Florida, but he is getting the cold shoulder from the White House, according to NOTUS.
According to journalist Reese Gorman, Cawthorn’s candidacy was politely described as “not a high priority,” while another Trump insider just said, “No way.”
One issue dogging Cawthorn was his loss in 2022 despite Trump’s backing, with NOTUS reporting, “Trumpworld is known to not like candidates who lose, especially after the president has given his endorsement.”
According to another member of Trump’s inner circle, “He has a bit of talent so it is unfortunate that he is so self destructive.”
They elaborated, “Madison was a disaster in his first term in Congress and everything that Team Trump has seen from him since, only makes people think he’s going to be even a bigger disaster this time around.”
One GOP strategist suggested it would be wise to keep Cawthorn at arm's length.
“The great thing about Trump 2.0 is how fast the grifters and the pretenders have been exposed and removed,” the strategist stated. “Suffice it to say — Madison Cawthorn is a perfect example of the kind of pretender and fraud that has no place in the current GOP.”
The report notes that the White House had no comment when asked about the former lawmaker’s attempt to resurrect his career.