Kansas City paper says Hawley has blood on his hands

The Kansas City Star’s editorial board slammed Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) over his objections to the results of the presidential election after a mob of President Trump’s supporters rioted in the Capitol.

“No one other than President Donald Trump himself is more responsible for Wednesday’s coup attempt at the U.S. Capitol than one Joshua David Hawley, the 41-year-old junior senator from Missouri, who put out a fundraising appeal while the siege was underway,” the editors wrote.

“This, Sen. Hawley, is what law-breaking and destruction look like. This is not a protest, but a riot. One woman who was apparently part of the pro-Trump mob was fatally shot by Capitol Police as lawmakers took cover. Some of those whose actions Trump encouraged and later condoned brought along their Confederate flags,” they continued, adding that the Missouri Republican’s “actions in the last week had such impact that he deserves an impressive share of the blame for the blood that’s been shed.”

Hawley last month became the first senator to announce that he would object during Congress’s certification of the Electoral College vote affirming President-elect Joe Biden’s win.

Hawley late Wednesday objected to Pennsylvania’s Electoral College results, even after many of his fellow Republican senators backed down from challenging after the mob of rioters stormed the Capitol, forcing evacuations.

Four people died amid the rioting on Wednesday, including one woman who was shot and killed by Capitol Police. Law enforcement said three other people died after suffering “separate medical emergencies” near the Capitol grounds.

The Star’s editors also criticized a statement Hawley released Wednesday thanking “the brave law enforcement officials who have put their lives on the line” and calling for the violence on Capitol Hill to end.  

“So modest, Senator, failing to note your key role in inspiring one of the most heartbreaking days in modern American history. We lost something precious on Wednesday, as condolence notes to our democracy from our friends around the world recognize,” they wrote.

The editorial board also slammed Republican leaders, including Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

“Hawley, [Kansas Sen. Roger] Marshall and other Republicans who upheld Trump’s con about widespread fraud knew all along that his claims were bogus. Now that they’ve seen exactly where those lies have landed us, decency demanded that they try to prevent further violence by making clear that President-elect Joe Biden did not win by cheating,” it wrote.  

“No doubt plenty of Americans will see even this free-for-all in the temple of democracy as defensible. And those of you who have excused all of the brazen lawlessness of this administration can take a little bit of credit for these events, too. They couldn’t have done it without you,” it added.

The Hill has requested comment from Hawley’s office.

“I don’t think urging people to come to the Capitol was a good idea,” the senator told CNN late Wednesday. 

“The responsibility of violent criminal acts is with violent criminals,” he added.