Madison Cawthorn Twitter video goes viral as US Rep hits out for being portrayed as 'some kind of drag queen', claims 'blackmail won't win' 

A questionable video regarding Congressman Madison Cawthorn has surfaced online. The video was released by American Muckrakers PAC, a political group running a campaign against Cawthorn.

The politician addressed the video on his social media, claiming it to be a part of 'a drip campaign' against him.

His post read:

"A new hit against me just dropped. Years ago, in this video, I was being crass with a friend, trying to be funny. We were acting foolish, and joking. That’s it. I’m NOT backing down. I told you there would be a drip campaign. Blackmail won't win. We will."

He also posted a 7-minute video fact-checking trending headlines regarding him or showing him in a bad light.

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Madison Cawthorn claims the video is a "stupid locker room talk between cousins”

A short video going viral on the internet shows an unclothed Madison Cawthorn thrusting his hips onto a male person's torso. The video spread around social media like wildfire, resulting in Cawthorn making two public announcements.

He posted a video addressing the video on his social media. Madison Cawthorn claimed that numerous fake news stories were published by "fake media" houses to harm his reputation. He pulled prints of some recent headlines that questioned his candidature for North Carolina's westernmost district.

He spoke about a Politico exclusive that contained pictures of Cawthorn in women's underclothing. He explained that the picture was taken as a joke on a cruise trip with his family and called it "a ludicrous narrative," pushing the idea that he "was some kind of drag queen on the side, aside from being a congressman." He said:

“Have you ever taken a dumb photo on vacation? Most people have. The media thinks that playing a goofy game on a cruise ship with my friends and family means that I can't serve in Congress. That is garbage.”

He also took accountability for his recent brushes with law enforcement officials. He accepted that he owned a firearm that he forgot to take off before checking into Charlotte Douglas International Airport. He said:

“I love and defend the Second Amendment as a man in a wheelchair who faces death threats. I carry a weapon almost all the time. Obviously, though, I made a mistake. I forgot to disarm before I went through a TSA checkpoint. That's my bad, and I have to own that one.”

Additionally, he accepted the speeding accusation, affirming that he learned his lesson and will drive more responsibly in the future.

While discussing his recent video, Madison Cawthorn said that he was the first generation of politicians that grew up with a cell phone. He claimed that the video was "just a stupid locker room talk between two cousins." He verified that the other person in the video was his cousin, Steven, and shed light on their friendship by saying:

"He's family, and he's my best friend. The article published in the tabloid, The Daily Mail, didn't even bother to fact-check any of this or send the video to my office before they ran this with misinformation."

He addressed a few other stories published by the media in the 7-minute video defending himself.

The politician has come under fire on multiple other occasions recently. He was criticized for calling the Ukrainian president a "thug," for having insider information, and for making claims about being invited to a provocative party by older Republican colleagues.