Josh Hawley’s campaign is selling mugs featuring an image of the Missouri Republican Senator raising a fist to Trump supporters outside Congress shortly before the Capitol riot on 6 January 2021.
The photo, that some believed would lead to the end of Mr Hawley’s congressional career, is featured on the mugs being sold for $20.
“Josh Hawley: show-me strong!” the mugs state.
“Liberals are so easily triggered, and this new mug is really whipping the left into a frenzy!” a fundraising email from the Hawley campaign said. “Josh isn’t scared — he’s show-me strong! This Made in America mug is the perfect way to enjoy Coffee, Tea, or Liberal Tears! Check it out below, and order one for yourself or any woke friend or family member that you want to trigger!”
The photo of Mr Hawley showing his support for the Trump supporters, including some of those who would later take part in the insurrection, went viral after the events of 6 January. Trump supporters ransacked the Capitol in an effort to stop the certification of President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory, forcing lawmakers to seek shelter in secure locations.
Mr Hawley became the first senator to announce that he would object to the certification of the election because a challenge to Pennsylvania’s use of mail-in ballots was dismissed because of procedural issues.
Following the insurrection, multiple Republicans have criticised Mr Hawley for his part in the events of that day. Some of those who have acted as his mentors publicly ended their support for him and Democrats wanted the Ethics Committee to censure him. Protesters have demanded that he resign and some companies ceased their campaign donations.
But Mr Hawley’s campaign managed to increase its fundraising fourfold compared to 2020 and he remains a popular figure among Republicans in his state, according to The Kansas City Star.
He has also co-sponsored legislation alongside Democrats, and managed to get amendments included in the National Defense Authorization Act.
The Republican Party has failed to present a united front on how to deal with the aftermath of 6 January, with the Republican National Committee recently referring to it as “legitimate political discourse”, prompting outrage.
The RNC voted to censure Wyoming Representative Liz Cheney and Illinois Representative Adam Kinzinger for working with Democrats on the House Select Committee investigating 6 Janauary.
The vote led to some Republicans blasting the move, such as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who said 6 January was a “violent insurrection for the purpose of trying to prevent the peaceful transfer of power, after a legitimately-certified election, from one administration to the next”.
Mr Hawley said the vote is in line with how most Republicans in his state feel about the riot and said national politicians in Washington, DC should stay out of it.
While the fundraising email said the mugs are made in the US, Republican Missouri Representative Billy Long tweeted that the mugs that were being handed out at a GOP event had stickers saying “Made in China”.
The Independent has reached out to the Hawley campaign for comment.
