Sen. Josh Hawley's (R-Mo.) support of former President Donald Trump's attempted coup has led to mounting calls for his resignation from Congress, but the angered politician is pushing back to defend his actions.
Since the insurrection on the U.S. Capitol, theSt. Louis Post-Dispatch has been deeply critical of Hawley even going so far as to refer to him as "FrankenHawley," reports Newsweek.
In a piece published on Thursday, Feb. 4, the publication's editorial board accused Hawley of "exploiting divisions within the country 'for his own advancement,' also suggesting that 'gross, blatant hypocrisy has been the key to the junior Missouri senator's success.'"
However, it was the headline that amassed quite a bit of attention. It read, "Missourians should heed Danforth's warning: FrankenHawley is on the loose."
The publication also alleged that Hawley "seems capable of saying anything at any time to please the Trumpian masses with utter disregard to the consequences or how far his comments veer from traditional Republican values."
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch's latest rebuke of Hawley came as he conducted an interview with a local news outlet to defend himself. Amid heightened criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and notable Republican donors distancing from the embattled lawmaker, Hawley was asked if he helped to incite the pro-Trump mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol.
He quickly fired back to defend himself. During an interview with a local news network, Hawley said, "I would say that's absolutely false and a lie," he told KVTO, according to Newsweek. He also insisted that the claims have been made by members "from the woke left, the woke mob that are leading a vote on the floor of the Senate about election integrity."
Hawley also argues that anyone who has compared the Capitol riots to a form of sedition is "not only crazy—it's a lie. It is simply false and I'm not going to give into it for a second," Hawley added, before reiterating his call for those involved in the violence to be "punished to the fullest extent of the law."