Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) was ousted in the primary in North Carolina on Tuesday night, despite having the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, The Hill reported.
Trump endorsed Cawthorn him last year and doubled down on his support ahead of the primary, saying that the first-term congressman made some “foolish mistakes” but deserved a “second chance.”
The Associated Press called the race for Cawthorn’s rival, state Sen. Chuck Edwards, at 11:09 p.m. ET local time.
Cawthorn’s campaign confirmed earlier Tuesday that the lawmaker had already conceded to Edwards, according to The Hill.
Heading into Tuesday’s primary, Cawthorn faced a crowded field of Republican rivals, though he remained the favorite to clinch the nomination in North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District.
However, the many controversies and missteps that haunted Cawthorn’s reelection bid appeared to catch up to him.
He angered many of his fellow House Republicans earlier this year after he suggested in a podcast interview that his colleagues were attending orgies and snorting cocaine. He has also been the subject of a series of salacious revelations, including a leaked nude video that he dismissed as “blackmail.”
In two separate incidents this year he was cited for driving with a suspended license and attempting to take a gun through an airport security checkpoint. He also drew headlines for calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “thug.”
At the same time, he also showed support for Israel when he lashed out at Democratic lawmakers who were criticizing Israel as Hamas was raining rockets on Israel.