Sen. Josh Hawley vowed Friday at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, that he will not bow down in the face of the criticism he has faced over his decision to object to the certification of votes in the 2020 presidential election.
Mr. Hawley’s futile effort has been blamed for helping to fuel the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol and has made the Missouri Republican a pariah among lawmakers in both parties.
At CPAC, though, he was given a hero’s welcome.
“The last six weeks, the radical left, their corporate allies, the liberal media have tried to cancel me, censor me, expel me, shut me down, stop me from representing the people of Missouri, stop me from representing you, and guess what?” Mr. Hawley. “I am here today, I am not going anywhere and I am not backing down. Not a chance.”
Mr. Hawley was the first lawmaker to announce he would object to the certification of the electoral votes, echoing concerns over election integrity that former President Donald Trump and his allies had pushed for weeks leading up to the Senate certification of the votes.
Critics said it was a shameless attempt to score political points with Trump supporters ahead of a likely 2024 presidential bid.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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