Fox News’ Trey Gowdy Blasts Cawthorn Over Orgy Comments: ‘Can’t Blame the Media for Something That Came Out of Your Mouth’

Fox News host Trey Gowdy eviscerated Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) on Sunday over his cocaine and sex party remarks, calling on the freshman representative to either name names or “admit what we suspect, which is that you made it up.”

Cawthorn has faced condemnation within his own party for his claims of illicit drug use and “sexual perversion” within Congress. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said Cawthorn “lost my trust,” and House Freedom Caucus Chair Scott Perry (R-PA) said Cawthorn would have to name names after that remark.

Noting that Cawthorn compared the real-life Congress to their fictional counterparts of Netflix’s House of Cards, Gowdy said, “if you haven’t watched House of Cards, don’t bother.”

“If you have, you already know what it’s about — immoral and amoral members abusing their offices and engaging in all manner of debauchery,” he continued. “In one episode, the majority leader actually murders a journalist.”

“Whatever shortcomings you may perceive Kevin McCarthy or Steny Hoyer have, let me put your minds at ease, neither has ever pushed a journalist, or anyone else, in front of a train,” Gowdy added.

The host — who himself is a former U.S. representative for South Carolina — lamented that decent members of Congress never get enough press or attention.

“The bad ones get all the attention, this modern obsession with negativity does not need to be enhanced by exaggeration,” he said.

Gowdy added that Cawthorn has not served a full term in Congress yet, and that he has one simple question: “Who?”

“Give us the names. If you’re being invited to cocaine parties by colleagues, tell us who invited you,” Gowdy said. “Who used illicit drugs in front of you? Who broke the very laws they passed and expect us to follow? Which of your colleagues thinks he or she is above the law? Who is doubling as a deviant by night while talking about family values by day?”

“So stop with the nuance, name the politicians or other officials who did drugs in front of you and invited you to sex parties,” he added.

Gowdy then recounted how during his eight years in Congress, his colleagues were “nothing like what this congressman described.”

“Tim Scott‘s idea of a wild time was ordering dessert,” he said. “John Ratcliffe would run an extra mile. Jim Jordan would do extra push-ups. Kevin McCarthy, now he did take us to see movies and one time, he did order butter popcorn, if that counts. Joey Kennedy‘s nickname was ‘Milk’ because it was the strongest thing he drank. Jason Chaffetz didn’t need milk because he wouldn’t even drink coffee.”

He added: “And I hate to admit this but Tulsi Gabbard did miss work, because she was serving in the Army reserves while she was also serving in Congress.”

“The people I was around did none of what you described ever, so if you’re being invited to NC-17 parties and watching people do cocaine, then you are hanging around with the wrong people,” Gowdy said, addressing Cawthorn. “But you should name them, so their constituents know what they are doing on the people’s time. And if on the other hand, none of what you described really happened, you need to admit that too.”

Gowdy reiterated moments later: “Either tell us who you saw doing cocaine and who invited you to sexually explicit parties, or admit what we suspect, which is that you made it up. And then ask yourself, where fairness and honesty fall on the list of qualities we should be looking for in members of Congress.”

Politico congressional reporter Olivia Beavers then joined Gowdy to discuss Cawthorn toning down his allegations and statement decrying the media coverage he received.

Cawthorn has since said he saw someone who appeared to possibly be doing cocaine in a a parking garage a distance away, but did double down on his claim that he was invited “to a tryst with a member and the member’s wife,” according to Beavers.

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

Gowdy, however, was having none of Cawthorn’s response.

“I could have sworn there was a transcript and there’s like an audio recording of what he said,” he told Beavers (there is, you can watch the video here).

Gowdy continued: “Look, I made a modest living blaming the media for things, but you can’t blame the media for something that came out of your mouth.”

Watch above, via Fox News.

Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com