Hawley denies attempting to overturn election results

His. Josh hawleyJoshua (Josh) David Hawley Former DHS chiefs slam Republicans for blocking Binden Mayorkas’ candidate for the GOP Senate slowing Biden’s choice to lead DHS Conservatives lean on warnings of ‘censorship wave’ (R-Mo.) Denied Wednesday that he was trying to overturn the presidential election with his votes to challenge the electoral college results in Arizona and Pennsylvania on Jan.6.

Hawley said Saint-Louis KMOX radio station that he did not intend to alter President Biden’s election results with his votes and instead sought a congregational debate on “electoral integrity.”

“I never said the goal was to cancel the elections,” he said. “It was never the goal and it was never possible.”

“What we need are fair, free and open elections, and I think Congress needs to do its job and look at electoral irregularities,” the senator said.

Hawley’s votes to challenge the results came after the former President TrumpDonald Trump FBI says California extremist may have targeted Newsom House Democrat touts resolution to kick Marjorie Taylor Greene from congressional Facebook to recall political content on platform For weeks after the election, he promoted unsubstantiated claims that widespread electoral fraud resulted in his downfall and called on his supporters to protest the certification on Jan.6.

Rioters backing Trump ended up storming the Capitol that day in an attack that left five people dead and temporarily delayed Congress from asserting Biden’s election victory.

Congress met again later in the evening after securing the building. Eight Republican senators and 139 House GOP members voted again to challenge Electoral College results in at least one of the two states despite the violence of the day.

Hawley and Sen. Ted cruzRafael (Ted) Edward CruzHillicon Valley: Biden’s Cyber ​​Priorities Focus on Russian Hacking | Apple and Facebook Report Increase in Revenue at End of 2020 | International authorities disrupt ‘world’s most dangerous malware’ McCaul urges senators to block vote on Commerce secretary over Huawei Lankford concerns to stay on Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission after the Capitol riot (R-Texas) was among the most scrutinized, facing charges of inciting violence by pledging to team up with House Republicans challenging the results, which forced the two Houses into a debate before finally certifying the vote.

The Missouri senator refuted this characterization of his actions, calling it a “lie” to have provoked rioters by suggesting that Biden’s election could be overturned.

“It’s just a lie,” said Hawley. “This is a lie told by the left-wing mafia who now want to shut me up and Ted Cruz, 140 MPs and 13 senators and anyone who dares stand up to them. Anyone who is a Trump supporter who refuses to bow their knee. And I just won’t be silenced.

“It is a lie that I was trying to cancel an election or that Ted Cruz was trying to cancel an election,” he added. “It is a lie that I instigated violence.”

When asked during the interview whether he currently or prior to the Jan. 6 vote believed that “the election was stolen” or that Biden “was an illegitimate president,” Hawley replied, “I didn’t. never used this rhetoric. ”

Several Democrats, as well as the biggest newspapers in Missouri, have called on Hawley to step down after his challenge to the electoral college.