Madison Cawthorn mistakenly says James Madison signed the Declaration of Independence

North Carolina congressional candidate Madison Cawthorn mistakenly said that James Madison signed the Declaration of Independence during his speech at the Republican National Convention Wednesday night.

Cawthorn, a 24-year-old businessman who won the GOP runoff in June, is running to fill the seat that previously belonged to now-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. If elected in the reliably Republican district, he will be one of the youngest members of Congress ever.

In his speech, he touted the accomplishments of other young politicians in history, such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and James Madison. 

“If you don’t think young people can change the world, then you just don’t know American history,” Cawthorn said. “George Washington was 21 when he received his first military commission. Abe Lincoln, 22 when he first ran for office.”

“And my personal favorite: James Madison was just 25 years old when he signed the Declaration of Independence,” he said.

Madison signed the Constitution, not the Declaration of Independence. 

“In times of peril young people have stepped up and saved this country abroad and at home,” Cawthorn added. “We held the line, scaled the cliffs, crossed oceans, liberated camps and cracked codes.”

Madison Cawthorn: “National leaders on the left have normalized emotion-based voting and a radicalized identity politics that rejects Martin Luther King’s dream.” #RNC2020 pic.twitter.com/02LF6xi5TR

— The Hill (@thehill) August 26, 2020