Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) was caught with a gun at a North Carolina airport on Tuesday — which, amazingly, wasn’t the first time a similar incident unfolded involving the controversial North Carolina Congressman. When flying out of Asheville Regional Airport in February of last year, TSA agents discovered a 9 millimeter handgun in his carry-on bag. This time, a Charlotte, North Carolina-area ABC affiliate says that Cawthorn “was cited for having a gun at Charlotte Douglas International Airport Tuesday morning, three sources tell Channel 9.” It appears as though the gun found in Cawthorn’s belongings this week may have been loaded. Although TSA personnel declined to specify who had the gun, they admitted a 9 millimeter handgun was discovered on Tuesday at the airport in question, and that ABC affiliate obtained a photo apparently depicting the gun that revealed it to have been loaded.
"We live in the greatest constitutional Republic in history. No citizen in our Republic can be a bystander. If we do not stand for our freedom and for our Constitution, we will lose them."
-Vice Chair @RepLizCheney— January 6th Committee (@January6thCmte) April 7, 2022
The ABC affiliate said Cawthorn was “cited,” but there’s no apparent indication at this point that he’ll face criminal prosecution for the incident. He faced no criminal charges the last time a gun was found among his possessions at an airport. (UPDATE: Per the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, Cawthorn “was issued a citation for Possession of a Dangerous Weapon on City Property, which is a City of Charlotte Ordinance.”)
On Tuesday, April 26, 2022, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officers assigned to the Charlotte Douglas International Airport Division received notification from the Transportation Security Administration that a firearm had been located in a bag (1/5)
— CMPD News (@CMPD) April 26, 2022
Separately, however, Cawthorn was charged in March with driving with a revoked license, which is a misdemeanor offense. That situation constituted at least the second time in recent years he’d faced the same charge, although the previous case against the Congressman was dismissed. Back in early March, Cawthorn was also, however, facing two speeding charges in North Carolina. Those issues stem from incidents on October 18, 2021 and January 8, 2022. In the October incident, he was apparently going 24 mph above the speed limit — and just to be clear, he was driving that fast, potentially putting others in literal mortal danger, while also serving in the U.S. House. What a remarkable embarrassment. The active case involving driving with a suspended license left Cawthorn with a May 6 court date.
NEW: Madison Cawthorn was cited for having a gun at Charlotte Douglas International Airport today, per @wsoctv. This isn't the first time Cawthorn attempted to bring a gun into an airport; he had one in his carry-on bag at Asheville Regional Airport in February 2021.
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) April 26, 2022
Cawthorn — an ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump — is facing serious opposition among North Carolina Republicans to his re-election. North Carolina GOP state Sen. Chuck Edwards is running against Cawthorn in the GOP primary race for his seat, and Edwards has the support of prominent Republicans including Sen. Thom Tillis (N.C.), North Carolina state Senate leader Sen. Phil Berger, and North Carolina state House speaker Rep. Tim Moore. One of Cawthorn’s scandals that’s seemed to most irk certain Republicans involves the Congressman’s recent claims about being invited to orgies and becoming witness to cocaine use among D.C. Republicans. Among many other examples, he also claimed “bloodshed” was inevitable if the imaginary rigging of U.S. elections continued. In other words: Cawthorn is clearly one of the Republicans who seem more interested in making a name for themselves than getting work done that helps their constituents.
BREAKING: Rep. Madison Cawthorn was cited for having a gun this morning at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, three sources tell @StolpWSOC9, @JPaulWSOC9 and me. More to come #ncpol @wsoctv https://t.co/b2tpYRX10q
— Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) April 26, 2022
Featured Image via Gage Skidmore on Flickr, available under a Creative Commons License
