Footage of Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) running from pro-Trump rioters quickly went viral Thursday night, with shares coming from everyday netizens, politicians and political action committees like the Lincoln Project.
The Lincoln Project mocked the Missouri Republican by editing the video to include the theme song from the 1981 British historical sports drama movie “Chariots of Fire,” and “Eye of the Tiger” from “Rocky III” (1982), among several other tracks.
In addition to eliciting laughs from attendees of the public hearing, many politicos and US lawmakers – including Hawley himself – took advantage of the social media bonanza surrounding the clips.
Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), one of two Republicans on the 9-member January 6 panel, took a Twitter shot at Hawley, panning him as “Fistpump McRunpants.”
“Worth remembering: Josh Hawley was the first senator to say he would object to the electoral college, causing a cascade of Ted Cruz-es,” the Illinois Republican tweeted.
He later added the hashtag ‘#fistpumpmcrunpants’ to the tweet thread.
“Where is Josh Hawley this morning? #StillRunning” tweeted Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison, quote-replying to the video with a GIF of Tom Hanks’ Forrest Gump sprinting.
Harrison’s question was answered shortly after, with Hawley tweeting out a kiss-face emoji and a link to purchase a ceramic mug emblazoned with a photo of his notorious closed fist salute. The post prompted Twitter user @pinheadnyc to offer up an alternative design depicting a man running.
Proceeds from the sale support the US lawmaker’s reelection campaign ahead of the November midterm elections.
Hawley’s social media post came several hours after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) chastised the Republican for similar moves in the past.
“Remember: Even after running for his life, Sen. Hawley chose to fundraise off his encouraging and fist-pumping the violent mob, and even sold merchandise of himself doing so from then through *this year* - even after Politico, who later acquired the image, sent a cease and desist,” AOC tweeted late Thursday evening.
Hawley also drew the ire of former DC police officer Michael Fanone, who attended the public hearing on Thursday and said that Hawley’s closed fist salute, coupled with his fleeing, showed the Missouri Republican’s “true character.”
“Josh Hawley is a b**ch,” Fanone told Politico, “and he ran like a b**ch.”