As the events of January 6 unfolded in Washington, D.C, Western North Carolina’s newly-elected congressman, Hendersonville Republican Madison Cawthorn, hadn’t even been on the job for three full days.
After being hustled off the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives because of an insurrectionist mob that had infiltrated the building, Madison Cawthorn looked out an office window and remembers his first thought.
“Wow, a major institution, a major monument to American success and prosperity is being attacked by people who want to subvert it,” said Cawthorn.
Cawthorn said he saw what he called a “disgusting and pathetic” group of people destroying the Capitol, and said that it would be ignorant to believe that President Donald Trump played no role in inciting the violence that left four dead, dozens injured and the Capitol building in shambles.
Despite largely echoing Trump’s baseless claims about a rigged election, Cawthorn said his comments to a large group of people before the violence broke out were meant to assure them that he was fighting for them – not in the streets, but on the floor of the House.
As calls for Trumps removal by use of the 25th Amendment or impeachment grow, Cawthorn says it’s time for Trump to move on and accept reality.
“I think it’s time for the president to concede,” Cawthorn said. “I don’t know if we need to forcibly remove him. I mean, he’s only got a week-and-a-half left.”
The Electoral College victory by Joe Biden was certified once the Capitol was cleared of the mob, and he’ll be inaugurated as President on January 20.