Madison Cawthorn, 25, won his congressional race in North Carolina on Tuesday, becoming the youngest member in Congress.
Cawthorn won North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District, “defeating the former Air Force colonel Moe Davis and keeping the conservative seat in Republican hands after a race that became unexpectedly competitive when Mr. Cawthorn was accused of racism and sexual misconduct,” The New York Times reported. “Cawthorn, whose victory was called by The Associated Press, is the youngest Republican ever elected to Congress, and the youngest person of any party elected to it in more than 50 years. He turned 25, the minimum age to serve in the House, in August.”
Cawthorn won handily against Democrat Moe Davis, a former Air Force prosecutor who had a history of making vulgar, nasty remarks online. As of early on Wednesday morning, Cawthorn was up 54.5% to Davis’ 42.4% with 98% reporting, according to The New York Times.
Despite Cawthorn’s victory, an impressive feat for any person in their mid-20s, a lot of the focus surrounding his victory centered around his post-victory statement: “Cry more, lib.”
Aside from the avalanche of nasty responses that his tweet elicited from the Left, many conservatives and Trump supporters voiced displeasure over the comment.
Popular YouTuber Tim Pool responded: “Not a fan of this kind of s**t.”
Not a fan of this kind of shit https://t.co/cVM34I4qUT
— Tim Pool (@Timcast) November 4, 2020
Former CIA officer and frequent Fox News guest Bryan Dean Wright wrote: “You’re a good, young man. And I celebrate your victory. But sometimes we say silly things. This tweet is one of them. Erase it and replace it, showing your district the man they expect you to be, and the man that your country needs you to be.”
You're a good, young man. And I celebrate your victory.
But sometimes we say silly things.
This tweet is one of them.
Erase it and replace it, showing your district the man they expect you to be, and the man that your country needs you to be. https://t.co/mlohQFmmxb
— BDW (@BryanDeanWright) November 4, 2020
Harry Khachatrian, a contributing writer at The Daily Wire, responded: “As a Representative of your district, you are meant to represent everyone who lives there (not just the Republicans) — chiding the people who live in your own district for not voting for you is just petty and unnecessary.”
As a Representative of your district, you are meant to represent everyone who lives there (not just the Republicans) — chiding the people who live in your own district for not voting for you is just petty and unnecessary https://t.co/Do83Oortw1
— Harry Khachatrian (@Harry1T6) November 4, 2020
Daily Caller reporter Andrew Kerr responded: “Cawthorn humbly accepts his election victory.”
Cawthorn humbly accepts his election victory. https://t.co/GDvFt9AhRq
— Andrew Kerr (@AndrewKerrNC) November 4, 2020
Daily Caller News Foundation editor-in-chief Ethan Barton responded: “We’re in a world were partisan divisions lead to literal violence, and this is your message?”
We're in a world were partisan divisions lead to literal violence, and this is your message? https://t.co/oePpFJxmkC
— Ethan Barton (@ethanrbarton) November 4, 2020
Republican strategist Caleb Hull responded: “Not a huge fan of this kind of immaturity in Congress tbh. Being the youngest member of Congress is a tremendous opportunity and immediately making no one take you seriously is the wrong direction to go in, in my opinion.”
Being the youngest member of Congress is a tremendous opportunity and immediately making no one take you seriously is the wrong direction to go in, in my opinion.
— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) November 4, 2020
There also appears to be problems with how Cawthorn presented himself to voters during his campaign.
“The narrative created by Republican congressional-candidate Madison Cawthorn paints a picture of a bright, young man headed to the U.S. Naval Academy until he was severely injured in an auto crash,” the Citizen-Times reported. “But in a 2017 sworn deposition obtained by AVL Watchdog, Cawthorn admitted his application to the academy had already been rejected before the crash. The campaign did not comment, despite repeated requests over several days.”
“The Naval Academy reference is a key part of the 25-year-old’s public portrait, featuring prominently in his campaign speeches and interviews,” the newspaper added. “Cawthorn is careful to say he was nominated and that his plans were ‘derailed’ by the crash, two statements that when taken together create the impression he was headed to Annapolis to attend the prestigious academy were it not for the 2014 crash.”