During an appearance on FNC’s “Fox News Primetime,” Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) defended his decision to go through with a challenge of the Electoral College on January 6 despite the U.S. Capitol riot that took place earlier in the day.
Hawley’s opponents have insisted that challenge was part of the so-called “insurrection” effort, to which the Missouri Republican lawmaker dismissed.
However, Hawley also said the federal government was using the circumstances of January 6, 2021 to go after law-abiding citizens and to shut down free speech.
“[L]et me just say this, it is a constitutional right to engage in peaceful political demonstrations and the thousands, tens of thousands of people who came to Washington last January 6, and have now been harassed by the FBI, have had people knock on their doors and threaten them,” he said. “That is crazy. And it is wrong. It is wrong to go after law-abiding citizens who are engaging in their constitutional rights. And I will continue to fight that at every turn.”
“And listen, you know, on January 6, a year ago, I objected to the state of Pennsylvania because they didn’t follow their own election laws,” Hawley continued. “Their Supreme Court changed the rules of the voting during the election. That was wrong then. It is wrong today. I hope we never see that again in American history, but to attempt to use that as an excuse and to use last January 6 as an excuse to go after law-abiding citizens and shut down speech you don’t like, that’s just plain un-American. And that’s what this administration is trying to do.”
“And Lawrence, I can tell you, they’re not going to get by with it,” he added. “The American people aren’t going to stand for it.”
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