Embattled Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) would like to assure everyone that, despite the backlash toward his wild claims of Washington, D.C. orgies and cocaine use, he has every intention of sticking around. Oh, and he's a friend of former President Donald Trump's, lest we forget.
"The radical left, the establishment, and the media want to take me down. Their attacks have been relentless," Cawthorn tweeted Thursday. "I won't stop fighting. I won't bow to the mob. They want to silence the America First movement. I'm not going anywhere."
Cawthorn's message was accompanied by an ad claiming Democrats are "terrified" of Cawthorn because he is "effective," and will "never stop putting America first."
The end of the 30-second spot highlights a photo of Cawthorn and Trump, alongside a quote from the former president: "He has my complete and total endorsement."
Contrary to his messaging, it's not just Democrats that Cawthorn has irked. The lawmaker was recently reprimanded by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) at the behest of angry caucus members, and Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina has opted to back one of Cawthorn's challengers in an upcoming primary. Cast out by many, Cawthorn now seems to be "relying on his ties to Trump to survive," posits CNN's Manu Raju.