Rep. Madison Cawthorn arrives for a House Republican conference meeting in the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center in Washington, D.C., May 12, 2021. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

(JTA) — Madison Cawthorn wants his constituents to push government leaders to “uphold Christian principles.” For an example, Cawthorn says, look no further than the Hebrew bible.

“Look at David, look at Daniel, look at Esther — look at all the people who influenced the government of their day to uphold Christian principles,” the House representative from North Carolina said in a new campaign ad released Sunday night that declared that a “spiritual battle” is happening on Capitol Hill. It is “time for the American Christian church to come out of the shadows,” Cawthorn says in the clip.

The ad is part of the 26-year-old’s reelection campaign. Cawthorn, a Republican, is already facing challenges by several Republicans and Democrats ahead of next year’s midterms.

This is not the first time Cawthorn has appropriated a piece of Jewish history in service of his campaign. In January, Cawthorn tweeted an adaption of a well-known poem about the Holocaust to promote his campaign merchandise. He later apologized for the tweet in a meeting with North Carolina Jewish leaders.

Cawthorn has also been criticized for posting pictures from a trip to the Eagles Nest, a Nazi retreat favored by Hitler. He later removed the photos from Instagram.

— The post Madison Cawthorn cites Hebrew bible figures in ad pushing the government ‘to uphold Christian principles’ appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount