Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri was just young and cocky enough to try to ride the tiger of Trump's grievance politics to the 2024 GOP nomination. Apparently, it never occurred to him that the tiger might rip him to shreds.
Perhaps it's occurring to him now. After his fist-pump salute to the insurrectionists planning to storm the U.S. Capitol and ultimately kill people, Hawley's 2024 star has taken a devastating hit. He has been shredded by lauded GOP kingmakers in his own state; he lost a major book deal with Simon & Schuster; thousands of law school alumni and students are calling for his disbarment; and his Senate colleagues are seeking to censure him or even pressure his resignation.
But what of making a splash and endearing himself to Donald Trump's faithful? Sorry. Hawley now finds himself in the unenviable position of being even less popular among all voters than the universally loathed Mitch McConnell, according to new Axios/Ipsos polling released Thursday. When asked if they approved of Hawley's recent behavior, just 24% of respondents said they did while 68% disapproved of it—a half dozen points further under water than McConnell (28%-66%). Worse yet, Hawley's even several points underwater among Republicans, 46%-49%.
On the other hand, Vice President Mike Pence—who defied Trump when he certified the election—notched a 74% approval among Republicans for his recent actions, with only 25% disapproving.
It's not every day that craven political opportunists suffer for being craven political opportunists. This appears to be a satisfying exception to the rule.