Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley attacks St. Louis TV reporter with false misconduct claims

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) launched a fierce attack on a St. Louis TV reporter last Friday, falsely accusing him of being fired from a previous journalism position due to unethical behavior.

The confrontation unfolded following a campaign event, where Hawley took credit for bringing nearly $100 million in new housing at Missouri’s Fort Leonard Wood, one of the largest military bases in the nation. 

Mark Maxwell, a political reporter for NBC affiliate KSDK-TV, pointed out that Hawley’s claims were false and that he had actually repeatedly voted against the measure that would have approved the funding. This fact-check caused Hawley to lash out against Maxwell on X, claiming that his former employer, CBS affiliate WCIA-TV in Champaign, Ill., fired him for undisclosed misconduct. 

However, Maxwell’s former boss, Andy Miller, told St. Louis Magazine that Hawley’s claims are fully untrue, saying “I have a lot of respect for Mark … I didn’t fire him. When his contract expired with our television station, he departed.” 

This isn’t the first time that Hawley has been embroiled in public fighting with Maxwell. Last year, Hawley berated Maxwell on a hot mic, saying, “You also said that you didn’t necessarily do any of this sober … I hope you do our interview sober!”, following Maxwell’s critical coverage of Elon Musk. Even further, Hawley has openly feuded with KSDK’s coverage of him after the station interviewed an economics professor who called Hawley’s views on Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse “delusional.” 

“Politician makes a claim, reporter tracks it down to confirm if it’s true. Rinse and repeat,” Maxwell said on X Tuesday with a screenshot of the St. Louis Magazine article.

Politician makes a claim, reporter tracks it down to confirm if it’s true. Rinse and repeat. https://t.co/7SJJyT5IqC https://t.co/ESdeF7gSFt pic.twitter.com/wZzXP2jtgA

— Mark Maxwell (@MarkMaxwellTV) October 1, 2024

Hawley has used multiple different addresses across the state to prove his residency, even as he and his family live full-time in Northern Virginia. In the 2018 race, Hawley attacked then-Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) about her ownership of a condo in Washington, D.C., even though the senator lived full-time in St. Louis. 

Hawley’s contempt for the press in his own state mirrors the same playbook as many GOP elected officials: attacking the media and deflect criticism as bias. Whether or not this strategy will secure him re-election in this year’s cycle remains to be seen, as Democratic nominee Lucas Kunce appears to be within “striking distance.”