N.C. Sen. Edwards tweets he's 'concerned' about Rep. Cawthorn's conduct as a legislator
N.C. Republican Sen. Chuck Edwards made his concern known in a tweet this week about the conduct of newly sworn-in fellow Republican U.S. Congressman Madison Cawthorn, and spoke with News 13 about it on Friday, Jan. 15. (Photo credit: WLOS Staff)
HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — North Carolina state Republican Sen. Chuck Edwards made his ire known in a tweet this week about the conduct of newly sworn-in fellow Republican U.S. Congressman Madison Cawthorn.
“There’s a right and wrong way to conduct yourself as a legislator,” Edwards tweeted about Cawthorn on Jan. 12. “And I’m extremely concerned about Congressman Cawthorn’s conduct. As a legislator, I don’t need to be threatened to do the job the voters hired me to do.”
The Senator, who lives in Hendersonville where Cawthorn also resides, was responding to a video clip of Cawthorn from the Turning Point USA conference last month where Cawthorn addressed the crowd of thousands of young Republicans. The clip has gone viral.
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“Call your Congressman,” Cawthorn told the crowd. “And feel free -- you can lightly threaten them and say, 'You know what? If you don't start supporting election integrity, I'm coming after you. Madison Cawthorn is coming after you; everybody's coming after you.'"
Edwards said he received hundreds of calls and emails once the clip made the rounds on social media in recent days.
“I don’t need to be threatened to do the job voters sent me to Raleigh to do,” Edwards said.
“Folks threatening to take my seat, insisting in a harsh way that maybe I’m not doing my job because I’m not trying to fix election integrity in Pennsylvania," Edwards said. "My focus is on North Carolina.”
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Edwards said Cawthorn made contact with him after he released his tweet directed at the Congressman. While the two have yet to have a conversation about Edwards' concerns over Cawthorn’s conduct, and that Cawthorn assured him the two would talk.
Cawthorn had no direct response when News 13 asked specifically for a comment about Edwards' public admonishment, but Cawthorn campaign spokesman Micah Bock said, “Calling for a primary challenge is not a threat of violence.”
Edwards said he had open dialogue with the former holder of the N.C. District 11 congressional seat, Mark Meadows, who is now President Trump’s Chief of Staff.
Edwards said he hopes in the same way to have open dialogue with Cawthorn in the days and months ahead.
