Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) is trying to turn mockery of him into a chance to fundraise.
The image of Hawley fist-pumping protesters on Jan. 6, shortly before the storming of the U.S. Capitol, has become one of the most enduring images of the day.
On Thursday night, the House committee investigating the riot shared footage of the Missouri senator apparently running to seek shelter from the rioters.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) — who raised his fist in support of the Capitol insurrectionists earlier in the day — runs for his life from the rioters inside the building in never-before-seen video. pic.twitter.com/GU1L8ttN8u
— The Recount (@therecount) July 22, 2022
The video led social media users to mock him.
So how did the Missouri senator respond? By trying to fundraise.
In a tweet Thursday morning, Hawley shared a kissing emoji and a link where people can buy a mug with a graphic of him raising his fist.
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) July 22, 2022
Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) shared a screenshot of the video and tweeted, “Worth remembering: Josh Hawley was the first senator to say he would object to the electoral college, causing a cascade of Ted Cruz-es.”
“There would not have been as much oxygen to trumps coup plan without Fistpump McRunpants,” he added.
Kinzinger referred to the fact that Hawley was the first senator to announce that he would object to certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Worth remembering: Josh Hawley was the first senator to say he would object to the electoral college, causing a cascade of Ted Cruz-es. There would not have been as much oxygen to trumps coup plan without Fistpump McRunpants. pic.twitter.com/V7uRnNM5f5
— Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini) 🇺🇸🇺🇦🇮🇱 (@AdamKinzinger) July 22, 2022
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) tweeted, “Remember: Even after running for his life, Sen. Hawley chose to fundraise off his encouraging and fist-pumping the violent mob, and even sold merchandise of himself doing so from then through *this year* – even after Politico, who later acquired the image, sent a cease and desist.”
Remember: Even after running for his life, Sen. Hawley chose to fundraise off his encouraging and fist-pumping the violent mob, and even sold merchandise of himself doing so from then through *this year* – even after Politico, who later acquired the image, sent a cease and desist https://t.co/eNU8iIqbxl
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 22, 2022
Check out some of the other reactions below:
.@HawleyMO's legacy will forever be fleeing from the same mob he helped incite. pic.twitter.com/a3eOv84faA
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) July 22, 2022
So I’m out walking the dogs right now and @HawleyMO just ran right past me. At a pretty good clip.
— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) July 22, 2022
Josh Hawley is up for re-election in 2024. Sources say he may run again.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) July 22, 2022
The image of you raising your fist in solidarity with a crowd that was seeking to overturn the results of an election and invalidate the votes of millions of Americans should be a shameful image.
And that’s especially true, knowing that rioters later stormed the Capitol to facilitate that and seven people died in connection with the violence.