Missouri Senator Josh Hawley shared on Wednesday that he doesn't regret any of his actions from Jan. 6, 2021, and that he believes the House select committee investigating the day is "trolling" him.
On the day of the Capitol riots, Hawley was seen raising his fist to pump up the crowd outside the building while also supporting the objections to President Biden's victory.
Wednesday, he shared with reporters that the committee was mocking him by releasing footage of him jogging swiftly through the Capitol as it was under attack.
"I do not regret anything I did on that day," Hawley said. "I take full responsibility for my decision and stand by it. I've had a year and a half to think about it. I don't regret filing the objection. I don't regret voting the way I did. I don't regret saluting the crowd."
Describing the crowd that he saluted outside the Capitol in 2021, Hawley said they were "demonstrating peacefully," with every "right to do so."
He continued saying he "supported their riot to be there" but did not "support the riot."
"I think a reporter asked me earlier today, 'Why didn't you join the riot?' Well, I don't support the riot, and I never have. But I don't support their right to be there, and I don't regret anything," he said.
When it comes to whether or not Hawley has followed the committee investigation, he said he hasn't watched "a single minute" lining up with several other Republicans who have been the least likely demographic to tune in.
A poll by NPR, PBS, and Marist found that less than 44% of Republicans said they have been watching the hearings, while four out of five Democrats and a majority of independents have.
While he says he hasn't watched, Hawley was aware of the criticism he had received after footage of him jogging across the heavily guarded first-floor hallway and into the basement to escape the mob was shown.
"That's just trolling," Hawley said. "They're just trying to troll. The reason for that is because … after all this time, I still say that I don't have any regrets, that I would do it again, and it was the right decision."
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