Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., says he is backing a GOP primary opponent to Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-N.C.
"It comes down to focus on the district, producing results for the district, and in my opinion, Mr. Cawthorn hasn't demonstrated much in the way of results over the last 18 months," Tillis told CNN.
The senator announced he is now supporting state Sen. Chuck Edwards in his primary against Cawthorn.
Tillis’ comments came after Cawthorn had alleged on a recent podcast that colleagues had invited him to sexual get-togethers and that he watched at least one fellow lawmaker consume cocaine, claiming that the same member was involved in anti-addiction efforts.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said on Wednesday that he had spoken with Cawthorn about the allegations.
"There's a lot of different things that can happen," McCarthy said. "But I just told him he's lost my trust. He's going to have to earn it back."
McCarthy’s comments came after he was asked by a reporter whether Cawthorn could face consequences for his actions, including losing his committee positions, Politico reported.
"I mean, he's got a lot of members very upset," McCarthy said.
"You can't make statements like that as a member of Congress, it affects everybody else and the country as a whole.
"It is just frustrating. There is no evidence behind his statements."
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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