North Carolina GOP Representative Madison Cawthorn tried to get on a plane with a Glock

First-year rep Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) attempted to pass a Glock 9mm handgun through airport security in Asheville, NC in February on Raleigh News & Observer reported. The incident was first revealed in audio obtained by FireMadison.com, a group trying to oust the far-right Cawthorn from the halls of Congress. But according to the 25-year-old lawmaker’s spokesperson, all the dust was just a mistake. “Five months ago, while boarding a flight, Representative Cawthorn mistakenly stowed a firearm in his carry-on baggage (which often serves as a storage bag) instead of his checked bag,” he said. Cawthorn spokesman Micah Bock said in a statement. “The gun was secure and chamberless. Representative Cawthorn strives to always follow TSA guidelines and promptly rectified this situation before boarding his flight.

“If you and I did this, we would be detained. We would be questioned. The weapon would be secure. A report would be drawn up. We certainly wouldn’t do our flight, ”FireMadison.com president David Wheeler told the News & Observer.

The TSA seized twice as many passenger firearms in 2020 as the year before, even though few people were flying during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Forbes reported in April. A TSA spokesperson told the outlet that a majority of people caught with guns in their hand luggage say they forgot the gun was there.