Rep. Madison Cawthorn Tells Audience: 'I Don't Have A Whole Lot Of Wisdom'

Mary Papenfuss
·3 min read
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Far right-wing Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) told an audience this week that he doesn’t have a “whole lot of wisdom.”

The reflection followed his inexplicable claims earlier this month that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a “thug” and his nation “incredibly evil” — and that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) suffers from “alcoholism” (she doesn’t drink). It also emerged that he was charged with speeding — twice — and driving with a revoked license.

One Twitter wag quipped about his confession: “No shit.”

Cawthorn also acknowledged that he has a “lot of aggression,” just months after provocatively cleaning his gun during a virtual legislative hearing. He also said in a taped interview he was packing “multiple weapons” at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 last year.

Cawthorn, who’s on the stump for reelection, ’fessed up about his wisdom shortfall during an appearance Tuesday at a Buncombe County Republican Men’s Club meeting.

He pointed out his flaws as he explained why guidance from his conservative mentor one-time House Speaker Newt Gingrich is so important to him.

“I have a lot of zeal. I have a lot of charisma. I’ve got a lot of aggression,” he told the smattering of people at the event. “But I realize at 26 years old, I don’t have a whole lot of wisdom.”

In fact, Cawthorn and Gingrich’s actual relationship is hazy. The young lawmaker last month proposed an updated version of Gingrich’s conservative legislative “Contract With America” he pitched when he became speaker of the House in 1994.

Cawthorn claimed on Fox News that he talked to Gingrich about the plan. But Gingrich told The Daily Beast this week that he had “nothing to do” with Cawthorn’s plan. He said he couldn’t even recall having a “substantive” conversation with Cawthorn.

Cawthorn on Tuesday also discussed another puzzling legislative agenda. He vowed to press to “quadruple” the number of homeschooled children in America.

Cawthorn was homeschooled. He dropped out of college after a single semester. Late last year he called on conservative students to quit college, calling the education a scam. “I am a proud dropout,” he boasted.

Twitter critics wholeheartedly agreed with Cawthorn’s own estimation of his wisdom — and couldn’t see any way Gingrich could help improve his situation.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

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