On Friday, The Daily Beast reported that new audio showed Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) tried to bring his Glock onto an airplane in February — an event that his campaign chalks up to an accident.
"The incident was first revealed in audio obtained by FireMadison.com, a group trying to drive the far-right Cawthorn from the halls of Congress," reported Justin Rohrlich. "But according to the 25-year-old legislator's spokesman, the entire dustup was just a simple mistake. 'Five months ago, while boarding a flight, Rep. Cawthorn erroneously stowed a firearm in his carry-on (that often doubles as a range bag) instead of his checked bag,' Cawthorn spokesman Micah Bock said in a statement.
Bock added that the Glock was "secured and unchambered," and stressed that "Rep. Cawthorn endeavors to always follow TSA guidelines, and quickly rectified this situation before boarding his flight."
Cawthorn, one of the youngest people ever elected to Congress and known for a history of incendiary racial remarks, has invited controversy repeatedly since taking office, including with a claim that President Joe Biden could use door-to-door vaccination drives to "take your Bibles."
