Rep. Madison Cawthorn blamed the media after fellow Republicans blasted him for claims he made about orgies and cocaine in Washington, DC

• Rep. Madison Cawthorn said he has been invited to orgies and seen people do drugs in DC.
• His comments drew criticism from Rep. Kevin McCarthy and other Republicans.
• Cawthorn on Friday blamed the media for trying to “disparage my Republican colleagues.” 

Rep. Madison Cawthorn has blamed the left and the media for trying to “disparage” his GOP colleagues over claims he made about drugs and orgies in Washington, DC.

The 26-year-old congressman from North Carolina caused a stir earlier this week when he said on a podcast that “sexual perversion” goes on in DC and that he has been invited to orgies and seen people do key bumps of cocaine.

Cawthorn did not specify if he was talking about members of Congress or others in DC, though many took it as referring to lawmakers.

Fellow Republicans rebuked the remarks, with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy saying Cawthorn “lost my trust.” Both senators from North Carolina also criticized Cawthorn, with Sen. Thom Tillis endorsing his opponent and Sen. Richard Burr calling him “an embarrassment.”

—Rep. Madison Cawthorn (@RepCawthorn) April 1, 2022

In a statement posted to Twitter on Friday, Cawthorn said his comments on the podcast were “used by the left and the media to disparage my Republican colleagues and falsely insinuate their involvement in illicit activities.”

But he also said “corruption and unethical activities exist in Washington” and that “the culture in Washington is corrupt,” adding “my colleagues and I are fighting that corruption.”

A representative for Cawthorn did not immediately respond to Insider’s questions about whether he was walking back his comments on drugs and orgies or how he felt the left and media had improperly used his words.

Despite the backlash from some members of his party, Cawthorn appears to still be in the good graces of former President Donald Trump. A spokesperson for Trump announced on Friday that Cawthorn would be speaking at the former president’s upcoming rally in North Carolina on April 9.