North Carolina Republican Rep. Madison Cawthorn has drawn attention before around the country, and even around the world, for his controversial remarks. He’s raising questions again for his comments last week, alleging that fellow lawmakers are involved in orgies and drug use. 

The comments may have cost him the support of a key North Carolina Republican.

On Thursday, a spokesman from Republican Senator Thom Tillis' office said he has endorsed Cawthorn's primary opponent, state Sen. Chuck Edwards.

“The 11th Congressional District deserves a congressman who is fully dedicated to serving their constituents. Unfortunately, Madison Cawthorn has fallen well short of the most basic standards Western North Carolina expects from their representatives, and voters now have several well-qualified candidates to choose from who would be a significant improvement. I believe Chuck Edwards is the best choice," part of a statement from Tillis said.  

North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger also were featured guests at a lunch fundraiser Thursday for Edwards, according to The Associated Press. 

The state's other senator, Republican Richard Burr, has not endorsed a candidate. A spokeswoman from Burr’s office said he “does not intend to get involved in primaries."

In a interview with the Warrior Poet Society podcast, Cawthorn was asked how Washington compares with the Netflix show "House of Cards," which portrayed the Capitol as being rife with scandal.

“I look at all these people, a lot of them that I’ve looked up to in my life, then all of a sudden you get invited, ‘Hey we’re going to have a sexual get-together at our home,’ and I’m like ‘What did you ask me to come to?’ Then you realize they asked you to come to a orgy,” Cawthorn said.

Cawthorn also said he’s seen leaders in Washington use drugs.

"Some of the people that are leading to remove addiction in our country, then you watch them do a key bump of cocaine right in front of you,” Cawthorn said.

The interview rankled some Republican lawmakers, including N.C. Republican Sen. Richard Burr, who told CNN Cawthorn has been “an embarrassment at times." 

“Shocked, and I think I couldn't be shocked anymore,” Western Carolina University Politics Professor Chris Cooper said. 

Cooper said Cawthorn has used outlandish comments before to raise and create a national brand.

"I wonder if he might have stepped a little bit too far, even for someone who has built himself around controversy,” Cooper said. 

At 26, Cawthorn is the youngest member of Congress, but he already has a long record of controversies. They include a charge for driving with a revoked license and calling Ukraine’s widely admired President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a "thug.”

These new comments have caught the attention of Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. He reportedly met with Cawthorn and told reporters the freshman lawmaker had lost his trust. He also told reporters that Cawthorn suggested his allegations about cocaine and sex were exaggerated or untrue. 

All of this comes as Cawthorn prepares for an intense Republican primary in May. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.