When he exploded onto the political scene, some viewed Madison Cawthorn as the future of the Republican Party.

A chiselled jaw; absurdly young; and with a compelling life story, having lost the use of his legs in a car crash, Mr Cawthorn was at the crest of a wave of red-blooded Republicans whose politics had been moulded by Trumpism. 

But less than two years later, his whirlwind career in politics was over as quickly as it had begun, complete with a lifetime worth of scandals ranging from allegations of sexual misconduct and being caught with a loaded gun at an airport.

Now, after a three-year hiatus, Mr Cawthorn has announced his ambitions to return to Congress with a pitch to “crush the woke Left”.

On Wednesday, the former North Carolina Republican launched his bid to run for Congress in Florida.

“I’m running for congress to stand with President Trump, defend our conservative values and fight to stop the radical Left,” he said.