The image of Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, raising his fist in solidarity with a crowd of Trump supporters outside the Capitol on Jan. 6 became an iconic symbol of how he and members of his party had made common cause with mob members. who finally stormed the building.
On Thursday night, the congressional committee investigating the attack offered the public another indelible image of Mr. Hawley, this time from the senator who led him out of the Capitol when he was invaded by the same people he had cheered hours earlier.
A pair of never-before-seen surveillance videos released by the panel, which drew laughter from onlookers inside the courtroom, instantly went viral on the Internet, with users superimposing various soundtracks, including the theme songs of the movie “Chariots of Fire”. ” and “The Benny Hill Show” and “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush.
There was a fair share of “How it began… how it goes” jokes at the expense of Mr. Hawley, who led the effort to oppose Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s electoral votes. on January 6, 2021, and is considered a potential Republican presidential candidate.
The Twitter account of Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, D-New York, posted the image of Mr. Hawley raising his fist outside the Capitol, which the Missouri Republican has since used to raise funds, along with the image of him fleeing the Capitol.
“Sowing,” Mrs. Maloney wrote next to the first. “Mow”, next to each other.
Humor aside, the memes touched on a central focus of the committee: how the lies of a stolen election conjured up by former President Donald J. Trump and spread by his allies in Congress fueled the violence that erupted on Capitol Hill in January 6
Representative Elaine Luria, D-Virginia, who helped chair the hearing Thursday night, said the panel had interviewed a Capitol Police officer who was outside the building as Mr. Hawley raised his fist .
“He told us that Senator Hawley’s gesture irritated the crowd,” Ms. Luria “And it really upset her because she was doing it in a safe space, protected by the officers and the barriers.”
In the days following the attack on the Capitol, Mr. Hawley remained defiant, arguing that the congressional recount was the appropriate place to air his concerns about vote fraud.
“I will never apologize for giving voice to the millions of Missourians and Americans who have concerns about the integrity of our elections,” Mr. Hawley. “This is my job, and I will continue to do it.”