Republican Party 'is dead': Hawley

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
13 Nov 2022 12:05
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The 42-year-old Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley has been outspoken in his criticism of the Republican Party and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

The 42-year-old Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley

42-year-old Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley argued that Republicans need to rebrand and "create something fresh" after failing to retake a Senate majority or satisfy widespread expectations in the 2022 midterm elections.

Shortly after Democrats won a critical victory in Nevada, where incumbent Democrat Senator Catherine Cortez Masto defeated Republican opponent Adam Laxalt, Republican Senator Josh Hawley declared the Republican Party "dead."

"The old party is dead. Time to bury it. Build something new," Hawley tweeted.

The old party is dead. Time to bury it. Build something new
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) November 13, 2022

The Missouri Republican is part of a younger generation of Senate Republicans who have expressed doubts about, or outright hostility to incumbent Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell, 82.

Hawley has been outspoken in his criticism of the Republican Party following their defeats in Pennsylvania, where Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz fell short of defeating Senator-elect John Fetterman, and Arizona, where Sen. Mark Kelly defeated Republican candidate Blake Masters.

"You can’t expect independent voters to vote Republican unless you give them an agenda they care about," Hawley added.

The day before, Hawley claimed that the Republican machine "lost big" in the midterm elections and that the American people did not support their legislative priorities.

"Washington Republicanism lost big Tuesday night. When your ‘agenda’ is a cave to Big Pharma on insulin, cave to Schumer on gun control & Green New Deal (‘infrastructure’), and tease changes to Social Security and Medicare, you lose," he said.

He also claimed that Republicans neglected to convey their own ideas and plans to voters, instead focusing on the Democratic.

"He is the WORST"

Hawley was also among a number of Republicans, including Sens. Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Rick Scott, and Cynthia Lummis, who pushed the Senate to delay the leadership election until after the Georgia runoff contest between Republican Hershall Walker and Democrat Raphael Warnock.

"The Senate GOP leadership vote next week should be postponed," Rubio posted in a tweet.

Hawley approved.

"Exactly right. I don’t know why Senate GOP would hold a leadership vote for the next Congress before this election is finished. We have a runoff in #GASenate - are they saying that doesn’t matter? Don’t disenfranchise," he wrote.

Following the election results on Tuesday, some prominent Republicans, most notably former President Donald Trump, expressed dissatisfaction with McConnell.

"He is the WORST!" Trump posted on social media.

Despite pleas for a delay, a Senate Republican aide confirmed quoted by Fox News Digital as saying that the leadership elections will take place as planned.