MEAWW.COM / NEWS / HUMAN INTEREST

Madison Cawthorn says armed citizens can 'stop feds' like Viet Cong fought US

Cawthorn slammed for comments over the Second Amendment, where he referred to the Viet Cong's success in stopping the US with 'small arms'

North Carolina Representative Madison Cawthorn drew the ire of social media late on Wednesday, June 16. Cawthorn, a Republican, appeared on Newsmax to talk about the Second Amendment and assault weapons, where he appeared to praise the Viet Cong, the Vietnamese military force that fought against the US.

Gun rights, especially over assault weapons, are one of the several contentious issues between Republicans and Democrats. While GOP-controlled states are increasingly pushing for more freedom, Democrats have hit back, citing numerous mass shootings. In late May, Texas legalized permitless carry after a late-night deal. In early June, a California judge lifted the state's 32-year-old ban on assault weapons, calling the AR-15 "a perfect combination of home defense weapon and homeland defense equipment."

RELATED ARTICLES

America's AR-15 problem: Kyle Rittenhouse shooting has further highlighted nation's troubled history with the gun

What is the Second Amendment to US Constitution? Chilling Boulder shooting puts a question mark on gun rights

Assault weapons like the AR-15 have increasingly been used in gruesome shootings, like the Boulder shooting in March. Yet, Republicans seem determined to keep the weapons on the streets. Cawthorn was the latest to weigh in on the debate, comparing assault weapons to "modern sporting rifles", and referred to the Viet Cong.

'Ask the Viet Cong how they handled the Marines'

Cawthorn was speaking to Newsmax host Chris Salcedo, where he condemned the latest plans from Democrats to restrict firearms. The youngest member of the House noted that "the 2nd Amendment is not so that we could go clay (pigeon) shooting, hunting or have home self-defense. The 2nd Amendment is so we can stop a tyrant if they ever rise up." Salcedo noted that "they want to take an assault weapon - which you and I both know doesn't exist - they want to take it away from us." The two were speaking about Biden's pick to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) - David Chipman.

To that, Cawthorn replied, "I actually saw him (Chipman) try and walk that back and say "you know what, the definition of an assault weapon is anything that shoots a semi-automatic round, something you can pull the trigger multiple times without having to reload"." He then called that definition, "that is basically every single modern sporting rifle in the United States." Cawthorn then referred to the Swcond Amendment, and said, "If anybody ever wants to say 'oh, well you know what, citizens with a few small arms fire would never be able to stop the federal government' - I absolutely disagree. Ask the Viet Cong how they handled the Marines and the Army in Vietnam."

It didn't take long for that video to quickly go viral, leading to Cawthorn being slammed for using the Viet Cong to defend his arguments over assault rifles. 

Twitter slams 'one helluva take'

"Republicans couldn’t just leave it at praising Putin over the American president all week, now they have to praise the Viet Cong over the American military too?" asked one user. Another noted, "Wasn’t expecting to see a US congressman talking up the glories of the Viet Cong, TBH…."

One person tweeted, "I'm cracking up at the Viet Cong comparison. Small arms aren't the issue. The idea that the crew having meltdowns over wearing a mask is going to muster the same resolve as the VC is hilarious though." Another noted, "So you’re saying, approvingly, that the MAGA cretins are like the Viet Cong of the United States. That’s a helluva take. One helluva take."

One user slammed Cawthorn, "They died. In large numbers. As did “the Army and Marines.” It’s a tragedy, not a punchline. Grow up, @CawthornforNC." One war veteran wrote, "@CawthornforNC you seriously have zero understanding about war or irregular warfare. Only a wanna be would equate these two different situations." Another user joked, "never thought I'd see Madison Cawthorn be pro communist."

Democrats are currently backing HR 127, a sweeping bill that would amongst other things create a national firearms registry. Cawthorn slammed that bill, saying, "I just genuinely believe that when Joe Biden is trying to take away our gun rights, he’s trying to take away liberties." He told Newsmax, "We need to do is fight this on a cultural level. We need to remind people that their safety is up to them." USA Today noted that assault rifles like the AR-15 have been used in 11 mass shootings since 2012. Nonetheless, Republicans want to keep them around.