Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) has spent the past week preparing for Jan. 6, when he and dozens of other lawmakers will object to the Electoral College certification during a joint session of Congress.
According to Breitbart, those plans were interrupted after a number of Antifa thugs with the group “Shutdown DC” went to the senator’s Washington, D.C. residence and, according to the senator, “vandalized” and “screamed threats” at his wife and newborn daughter.
What happened?
In a tweet on Tuesday night, Hawley detailed the terrifying ordeal that his wife had to experience while he was away from his D.C. home.
Tonight while I was in Missouri, Antifa scumbags came to our place in DC and threatened my wife and newborn daughter, who can’t travel. They screamed threats, vandalized, and tried to pound open our door. Let me be clear: My family & I will not be intimidated by leftwing violence
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) January 5, 2021
The group, which apparently live-streamed the disturbing event, was confronted by some of Hawley’s neighbors, who asked the group why they were in the neighborhood and scaring children.
The riotous group was apparently demanding Hawley withdraw from his planned objection to Congress’ certification of the Electoral College votes. Hawley was the first sitting Republican senator to agree to join the objection fight.
Earlier in the week, Hawley announced in a tweet that Jan. 6 “is my opportunity to speak for my constituents and to force a debate on election integrity, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
Media cover
In a bizarre twist to the developing situation, the left-leaning Washington Post interviewed the leader of the Shutdown DC group that terrorized Hawley’s family and painted a much different picture, with leaders of the group claiming it was a peaceful demonstration.
“This was not threatening behavior,” said self-described Antifa supporter Patrick Young, a ShutDownDC organizer. “This is people engaging in democracy and engaging in civil discourse. … This was a pretty tame and peaceful visit to his house.”
Hawley immediately shot back on social media, claiming The Washington Post printed “outright lies” from the leader of the group, insisting the group screamed at his wife through bullhorns and terrorized his wife and his neighbors in the process.
“And didn’t have the guts to do it in daylight, but only under cover of darkness so you could hide. You’re scum. And we won’t be intimidated,” Hawley tweeted as part of his response to the story.
According to KSDK, police arrived at Hawley’s residence to inform the group that using a megaphone for an extended period of time violated a city noise ordinance while explaining that in Virginia, protesting outside of someone’s home is illegal. However, no arrests were made and the group eventually disbanded and left.