Speaking to the Macon County Republican Party, Rep. Madison Cawthorn repeated false accusations of election fraud and said there could be “bloodshed” if it happens again, according to a video of the event.

Cawthorn, 26, is the youngest member of Congress and represents North Carolina’s 11th District in the western part of the state. He’s come under fire from Democrats for his Trump-like style and his speech on Jan. 6 before Trump supporters stormed the Capitol.

“If our election systems continue to be rigged and continue to be stolen, then it's going to lead to one place and it’s bloodshed,” Cawthorn said in the video. 

What You Need To Know

  • North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn repeated false claims about the 2020 General Election and warned of violence at a recent Macon County Republican Party event, according to video of the speech

  • Cawthorn, who spoke at the Jan. 6 Trump rally before the attack on the Capitol, called the people arrested, "political prisoners," the video shows

  • Democrats have called on Republicans to condemn Cawthorn

  • The Macon County Republican Party appears to have taken down the original video of the speech

“As much as I am willing to defend our liberty at all costs, there's nothing I would dread doing more than having to pick up arms against a fellow American," he said in the video.

The video was originally posted to the Macon County Republican Party’s Facebook page but appears to be no longer available.

Former President Donald Trump and his allies in Congress pushed false accusations that the 2020 General Election was rigged.

Trump’s supporters attacked Congress on January 6 as the House and Senate met to certify Joe Biden’s election. Despite the violence, Congress did complete the count of the electoral ballots to certify Biden’s victory.

Cawthorn joined several other Trump allies to vote against certifying the election.

At the same event, Cawthorn called the people arrested for the Jan. 6 attack “political prisoners,” video shows.

Democrats in North Carolina called on the state’s Republican Party to condemn Cawthorn.

“This is the face of the North Carolina Republican Party in 2021. Madison Cawthorn’s dangerous and reckless rhetoric are further proof that there is no bottom for the NC GOP and their violent extremism,” the N.C. Democratic Party said in a statement.

“How much longer will they allow insurrectionists to run rampant, while our democracy is at stake? The NC GOP must promptly condemn this reprehensible behavior — or else they'll prove who they really are,” the party said.

Spectrum News 1 reached out to the North Carolina GOP and Cawthorn’s office but has not had a response.

A select committee in the House of Representatives continues to investigate just what happened leading up to and during the Jan. 6 attack, including the role of Trump and members of congress loyal to the former president.