Hawley Bristles When Asked About Criticism He’s Complicit in Capitol Riots: ‘Outrageous … Utter Lie’

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Senator Josh Hawley has come under serious criticism in the weeks following the riots at the Capitol building, particularly over his continuing to raise objections to the election results even after the riots.

During the Senate hearing on the riots Tuesday, Hawley railed against some comments that people in law enforcement leadership were “complicit” in the attacks.

Hawley was referring in particular to comments from Ret. Lt. Gen. Russell Honoré — who was chosen by Speaker Nancy Pelosi to lead a review of Capitol security — in comments days after the riot saying, “I’ve just never seen so much incompetence, so they’re either that stupid, or ignorant, or they’re complicit. I think they were complicit.”

At one point Tuesday afternoon, one reporter asked Hawley about people saying he himself is complicit.

The senator, per CNN’s Manu Raju, responded by saying, “That’s outrageous. I would say that’s absolutely outrageous and an utter lie and no one I think who knows any of the facts alleges any such thing.”

Video shared on Twitter of the exchange shows the senator also responding to the infamous photo of himself raising to show solidarity with people in the crowd.

look at this weasel pic.twitter.com/wgKEoUEFp6

— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) February 23, 2021

“Folks who I walked by, when I was on my way to the House chamber, were standing there peacefully behind police barricades,” Hawley said.