In recent months, Cawthorn, who was paralyzed from the waist down as a passenger in a car accident in Florida, suggested teetotaling the Speaker of the House. There are court dates in May and June.

POLITICO couldn't independently verify the photos. A person who was close to Cawthorn gave them to POLITICO. A second person confirmed the origin of the photos. The date the photos were taken is unclear, though they appear to show Cawthorn sitting in a wheelchair, indicating the event happened after his accident. He is wearing a necklace that has appeared in other images and videos of Cawthorn. The photos are being shared among political rivals.

The spokesman for Cawthorn didn't respond to many requests for comment.

Cawthorn said in a September 2020 interview that he was raised on two things.

I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. If you look at ancient Jerusalem, you will see that there are Judeo-Christian values in my political ideology. I cling to a lot of traditional values and traditional ideas because they have worked in the past.

He said in March that the generation of soft men had created a lot of problems in our society and culture.

He said there was only one God and two genders.