Last Updated on November 10, 2022
Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) joined a growing chorus of Republicans who have blamed GOP congressional leadership for Tuesday’s lackluster midterm showing.
“Washington Republicanism lost big Tuesday night,” Hawley wrote in a tweet. The Missouri Senator — who has previously signaled his opposition to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) — argued that the Republican establishment has ceded too much ground to far-left radicals despite Biden’s unpopularity and struggling economy.
“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.
Washington Republicanism lost big Tuesday night. 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
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) November 10, 2022
Mitch McConnell and House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) have drawn a fair share of criticism in the wake of a less-than-expected midterm showing for the party. SuperPACs affiliated with both leaders spent significant funds on fighting America First candidates in GOP primaries, sparking post-election outrage that this was the focus instead of opposing the far left.
Former Florida state representative Anthony Sabatini — an American First candidate who was defeated in the GOP primary by McCarthy-backed candidate Cory Mills in August — called on elected Republicans to reject McCarthy as speaker.
“Kevin McCarthy spent close to $10 Million going after me, Joe Kent, and 6 other Republicans in their primary elections. That money could’ve been spent lifting up the Republicans we just saw lose,” Sabatini wrote in a tweet. “McCarthy is a failed disgrace & must NOT become Speaker.”
Kevin McCarthy spent close to $10 Million going after me, Joe Kent, and 6 other Republicans in their primary elections
That money could’ve been spent lifting up the Republicans we just saw lose
McCarthy is a failed disgrace & must NOT become Speakerhttps://t.co/1ElP7CGP2W
— Anthony Sabatini (@AnthonySabatini) November 9, 2022
“Kevin McCarthy spent millions of dollars to *undermine* Republican to his right at a critical point in the country’s political trajectory, going after guys like Anthony Sabatini and Joe Kent,” wrote Chronicles Magazine editor Pedro Gonzalez.
Senate Majority Leader McConnell has also faced significant criticism for diverting funds away from America First candidates, as well as his refusal to present a legislative agenda.
“Mitch failed to make this a referendum on why Republicans were better than the Biden agenda and the Democrats, and he knocked down anybody’s efforts to have a platform to run on,” said Club for Growth president David McIntosh during a press conference on Wednesday.
In addition, the McConnell-influenced Senate Leadership Fund opted to pull close to $10 million in ad buys supporting Arizona U.S. Senate candidate Blake Masters, who is currently locked in a nail-biter race with incumbent Democrat Mark Kelly.