After the now-infamous picture of Senator Josh Hawley fist-pumping the throng of Donald Trump supporters who attacked the Capitol building, and his continued dedication to their cause by attempting to overturn the 2020 election results even after violent assault, Simon and Schuster canceled Hawley’s book The Tyranny of Big Tech that was due out in June. “We take seriously our larger public responsibility as citizens, and cannot support senator Hawley after his role in what became a dangerous threat to our democracy and freedom,” the publisher wrote in a statement.
Less than an hour after the news hit, Hawley fired back at Simon and Schuster by calling them part of the “woke mob” and labeling their decision as “Orwellian” in a statement on Twitter. “Let me just be clear, this is not just a contract dispute. This is a direct assault on the first amendment.” While numerous voices on social media noted that Hawley has a law degree from Yale and should be well aware that book deals are not covered by the first amendment, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez went right to the point and blasted Hawley for being more concerned with a book deal than inciting a norm-shattering assault on democracy that left five people dead. AOC also echoed calls for Hawley’s expulsion from the Senate.
“You fist-pumped insurrectionists and baselessly attacked our elections,” AOC tweeted. “Your actions fueled a riot and you fundraised in the chaos. Five people are dead. Even your GOP colleagues have distanced from your acts. Yet here you are crying over a book deal. You should be expelled.”
You can see AOC’s tweet below:
You fist-pumped insurrectionists and baselessly attacked our elections. Your actions fueled a riot and you fundraised in the chaos. Five people are dead.
Even your GOP colleagues have distanced from your acts.
Yet here you are crying over a book deal. You should be expelled. https://t.co/9Xn8T9vol4
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 8, 2021
In related news, former U.S. Sen. John C. Danforth is now regretting his past act of helping to get Josh Hawley elected. In an interview with the St. Louis Dispatch, Danforth said, “Supporting Josh and trying so hard to get him elected to the Senate was the worst mistake I ever made in my life.”