Joshua Hawley

Joshua David Hawley is a Republican politician who has served as the junior United States Senator from Missouri since 2019. Born in Springdale, Arkansas, and raised in Lexington, Missouri, Hawley graduated from Stanford University in 2002 and earned his Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2006. His early legal career included prestigious clerkships for Judge Michael W. McConnell of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit and Chief Justice John Roberts of the U.S. Supreme Court. He later worked in private practice and as an associate professor at the University of Missouri School of Law, specializing in constitutional law. Hawley first entered elective office in 2017 as the Attorney General of Missouri, where he initiated high-profile investigations into technology companies and the opioid industry. In 2018, he was elected to the U.S. Senate after defeating Democratic incumbent Claire McCaskill. In Congress, he has gained national attention for his populist economic views and his aggressive stance against the influence of major technology firms. Hawley was the first senator to announce his intention to object to the certification of the 2020 presidential election results on January 6, 2021, citing concerns over election integrity. He was re-elected to a second term in 2024.

Senator Hawley’s policy platform blends traditional social conservatism with a populist approach to economic and foreign policy. He is a prominent critic of 'Big Tech,' advocating for antitrust enforcement and the repeal of Section 230 to hold platforms accountable for content moderation. Economically, he supports protectionist trade policies, particularly regarding China, and has partnered with lawmakers across the aisle to advocate for direct COVID-19 relief payments and caps on credit card interest rates. Hawley is firmly pro-life, supports the appointment of originalist judges, and emphasizes religious liberty. On immigration, he supports strict border enforcement and the completion of a border wall. In foreign policy, he advocates for an 'America First' approach that prioritizes countering China's influence over maintaining extensive commitments in Europe or the Middle East. He also opposes federal climate regulations that he argues negatively impact the domestic energy and agricultural sectors.