Josh Hawley claims he wasn't trying to overturn the election when he voted against counting votes for Joe Biden's victory and is the real victim of 'liberal onslaught of lies'

 Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri says he wasn't trying to overturn Joe Biden's electoral win when he voted not to count votes from two states that Biden carried over President Trump.

Hawley has faced funding boycotts, calls for his resignation, the loss of a publishing contract, and public criticism for his role in the events leading up to the congressional counting of the electoral votes and the January 6 MAGA riot in the Capitol.

He was pictured raising his fist to protesters that day before the violent storming of the Capitol that left six dead, including a Capitol police officer. 

'I was very clear from the beginning that I was never attempting to overturn the election,' Hawley told CNN. He said he had no regrets about his moves.   

'I was very clear from the beginning that I was never attempting to overturn the election,' said Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of his objection to electoral votes from two states the day of the MAGA riot in the Capitol

'I was very clear from the beginning that I was never attempting to overturn the election,' said Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of his objection to electoral votes from two states the day of the MAGA riot in the Capitol

Senator Josh Hawley objects to the verification of ballots
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Under the Electoral Count Act, a senator and House member must join in raising an objection to a state's electoral votes, and Hawley was the first senator to say he would do so. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) also worked with a group of GOP Senate objectors.

Some of those objectors fell away in the hours in between when the House and Senate debated the Arizona vote and the storming of the Capitol, which was succeeded by a vote on the Pennsylvania votes. Both represented the preferences of millions of Americans.

'This is the place where those objections are to be heard and dealt with, debated and resolved,' he said, contesting the Arizona vote. 

President Donald Trump spent weeks claiming he won the election and told a crowd to 'fight' the day of the riot.

President Donald Trump spent weeks claiming he won the election and told a crowd to 'fight' the day of the riot. 

Hawley had talked up the importance of the counting of the electoral votes before Congress met to receive votes showing Biden's 306 to 232 victory

Hawley had talked up the importance of the counting of the electoral votes before Congress met to receive votes showing Biden's 306 to 232 victory

In this image from video, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., signs the oath book after being sworn in for the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021.

In this image from video, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., signs the oath book after being sworn in for the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021. 

Two days before the count and the riot, Hawley didn't rule out Trump being president – joining a string of officials including Trump who gave hope to MAGA supporters believing the results were still up for grabs despite 50 state certifications.

He told Fox News host Bret Baier: 'Well, Bret that depends on what happens on Wednesday. I mean this is why we have the debate. This is why we have the votes.' 


He explained afterwards that 'To me, January 6th is the end of this process, that's when the votes are counted, certified, the election winner under the Constitution is officially declared. To, me that's the end of the line.'

He also told Fox host Laura Ingraham on January 5th that the role of then Vice President Mike Pence was essentially ceremonial, even as Trump pushed Pence not to accept the votes in states he was contesting.

'You know, my understanding is that under the 12th amendment, and under the relevant laws, the vice president, he opens the certificates and then he hands them over to the clerk in the Senate and the House and they count the votes,' Hawley said. 'I don't think the vice president actually counts under the law. He's sort of just there. This is really on Congress.' 

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