Top Local Paper Destroys Missouri Sens. Hawley, Blunt for Likely Trump Acquittal Votes: They’re an ‘Embarrassment’ to the State

Chip Somodevilla, Getty

A leading Missouri paper is going after the state’s two senators, Sen. Josh Hawley (R) and Sen. Roy Blunt (R), for “blindly supporting” former President Donald Trump.

In a blistering commentary, the editorial board of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch torched Hawley and Blunt for “refusing to see Trump’s guilt” ahead of this weekend’s impeachment vote.

“The Senate impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump should be an opportunity for Missouri Sens. Roy Blunt and Josh Hawley to redeem themselves for blindly supporting a man whose conduct was indefensible,” the Post-Dispatch editorial board wrote. “Instead, they continue bringing additional embarrassment to the state after having flirted with the abolition of democracy in favor of keeping a dictator wannabe in the White House.”

The paper took specific aim at Hawley for defending his objection to the electoral college vote even after rioters stormed the Capitol.

“I will not bow to a lawless mob,” Hawley tweeted on Jan. 13.

“Technically, Hawley is correct,” the Post-Dispatch editorial board wrote. “He didn’t bow to the lawless mob; he fist-pumped his solidarity with them.”

Scathing home state editorials are nothing new for Hawley. In January, the Kansas City Star called for the senator to resign for pushing false stolen election claims, and said he had “blood on his hands” from the attempted Jan. 6 coup.