Midterm elections: Hawley slams 'Washington Republicanism' after red wave fizzles

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Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., issued a scathing statement Thursday blaming "Washington Republicanism" for the Republican Party's mixed performance on Election Day. 

"Washington Republicanism lost big Tuesday night," Hawley tweeted Thursday morning after the GOP lost several key races in Pennsylvania and elsewhere that it needed to win to retake the Senate majority. 

"When your ‘agenda’ is 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," Hawley said, ripping his colleagues for supporting bipartisan deals on gun control and infrastructure. 

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"What are Republicans actually doing for working people?" he added. "How about, to start: tougher tariffs on China, reshore American jobs, open up American energy full throttle, 100k new cops on the street. Unrig the system." 

The Missouri senator's complaint comes days after he said he would not support Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., for another term as Republican leader.

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Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., questions Peiter "Mudge" Zatko, former head of security at Twitter, during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on data security at Twitter, on Capitol Hill, Sept. 13, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

"I'm not sure if any other senator will run or not. Nobody's indicated they would. But my view is that we need new leadership in that position," he told reporters in Springfield, Mo., Monday. Hawley made those comments at a campaign event for Sen.-elect Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., who has also said he would not support McConnell. 

Senate Republicans will have leadership elections Nov. 16. In addition to Hawley expressing opposition to McConnell, Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., has not committed to voting for McConnell. There is speculation Scott will throw his hat in the ring for GOP leadership, but no formal challenger for McConnell has emerged. 

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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, leaves a news conference following the weekly Republican caucus luncheon at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Sept. 28, 2022. (Samuel Corum/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Former President Trump, who has teased a Nov. 15 announcement regarding a potential 2024 presidential campaign, has openly opposed McConnell's leadership, vowing to see him ousted if he ever returns to the White House. 

"This guy does not deserve to continue to be leader, and hopefully somebody's going to challenge him," Trump said in a radio interview Nov. 3. "But I'll tell you, if I run, and if I win, he will not be leader." 

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, speaks during a press conference following a Senate Republican luncheon at the U.S. Capitol Sept. 28, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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Until then, McConnell retains support from key members of his conference. 

"I expect Sen. McConnell will be re-elected leader of the Republican conference. And I support him," Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, the No. 3 Republican, told Politico Wednesday. "You have to stand up and say you're going to run if you want to run for something like that in the conference. And I have not heard of any challenges in the current leadership."