There’s no love lost between insurrection cheerleader Josh Hawley — who recently seemed very uneasy with the FBI director over cell phone records used to investigate the insurrectionists and who was recently called a “little piece of sh*t” by the retired general leading the related House investigation — and Joe Biden. In fact, Hawley was very offended after Biden likened Hawley and Ted Cruz to Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels due to their roles in encouraging MAGAs to riot at the U.S. Capitol with the “Big Lie” about election fraud. Hawley reacted to this comparison as “shameful,” and that vibe is continuing with Hawley’s response to Biden’s latest comments about anti-masking sentiment.
Biden had been clarifying his displeasure with states (including Texas and Mississippi) that are disbanding COVID-19 restrictions despite scientists advising against the move. “I think it’s a big mistake… We are on the cusp of being able to fundamentally change the nature of this disease because of the way in which we’re able to get vaccines in people’s arms,” Biden said of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves of Mississippi’s decisions. “The last thing we need is Neanderthal thinking that in the meantime, everything’s fine, take off your mask, forget it. It still matters.”
Via Mediaite, here’s what Hawley had to say to Fox and Friends:
When Hawley appeared on the program shortly after, Brian Kilmeade led the interview by asking “is this Neanderthal thinking? Because I’m looking at a listing of the states without mask mandates, Missouri is one of them. Do you have archaic thinking?”
“What a uniter Joe Biden is,” Hawley sarcastically commented, which drew laughs from his hosts. “You know, this is Mr. Unity, and yet, if you disagree, with him you’re a Neanderthal.”
Hawley’s comeback (and Biden’s characterization) arrived the day after those state officials persisted in lifting restrictions (disbanding the mask mandate and opening businesses to 100% capacity) despite warnings from CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky pleaded with state officials not to do so, lest COVID variants be allowed to flourish while the wait for widespread vaccination continues.