Madison Cawthorn to speak at Trump rally in North Carolina despite Republican fury

Ex-president’s seal of approval comes amid Republicans’ fuming about the North Carolina freshman

Embattled Republican Representative Madison Cawthorn will speak at Donald Trump’s rally in Selma, North Carolina next Saturday, despite his recent firestorm of controversies.

The invitation comes as Mr Cawthorn’s fellow House Republicans are furious at him after he told a podcast that members of Congress were engaged in orgies and said they would do a “key bump of cocaine right in front of you.” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy held a meeting with the GOP caucus’s youngest member, who told reporters Mr Cawthorn told him that he exaggerated the story.

“I just told him he's lost my trust, he's gonna have to earn it back, and I laid out everything I find is unbecoming,” he said. But Mr Trump’s invitation is all but an endorsement.

Mr Cawthorn won his 2020 primary to replace Mark Meadows, who resigned to become Mr Trump’s chief of staff, and beat Lynda Bennett, whom Mr Trump endorsed and whom Mr Meadows preferred.

But Mr Cawthorn has made a name for himself in Washington as a thoroughly pro-Trump Republican. He voted to object to the 2020 presidential election results and spoke at the “Stop the Steal” rally at the White House Ellipse before pro-Trump rioters breached the Capitol in an attempt to stop its certification.

Mr Cawthorn is also facing serious opposition in his home district as plenty of Republicans are backing his primary challengers. Senator Thom Tillis, North Carolina state house Speaker Tim Moore and the senate’s president pro tempore Phil Berger all support state Senator Chuck Edwards. Mr Moore and Mr Berger both are taking part in a fundraiser for Mr Edwards.

“I wasn’t aware of it but I’m ok with it,” he said. When asked whether Mr Cawthorn should lose his primary, Mr Tillis said, “I think he’s got a stiff challenge and he might.”

Retiring Senator Richard Burr was less sparing in his criticism of Mr Cawthorn, calling him “embarrassment on given days. Just depends on if it’s a day that ends in ‘y.’”