On Wednesday, as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took to Twitter to announce his presidential bid, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) said he believed Donald Trump would be the GOP nominee.
Fox News Digital caught up with Hawley as he prepared to share a faith- and values-focused speech at the annual National Religious Broadcasters convention.
During the interview, the influential senator said he believed Trump’s nomination was “inevitable.”
Hawley claimed that litigation and lawsuits would likely help rather than hurt the former president as he seeks to return to the Oval Office.
Regarding Trump’s legal battles, Hawley said, “I think, you know — Bragg, the Manhattan D.A., coming after him in what I think is a blatantly illegal manner — I think he’s just consolidated his support.”
Regarding his assessment that Trump will win the nomination, the straight-talking senator said: “And that’s not against anybody else. I just think that Trump is going to be the nominee, and Biden’s going to be the nominee of the other party.”
With a smile, Hawley added, “And I can tell you I know where I am in that matchup.”
In criticizing the president, Hawley asserted that “Joe Biden has made us dependent on China. He’s made China rich. He’s made America poor.”
Hawley continued: “We have seen blue-collar wages in this country decline, decline, decline. We see families unable to make ends meet. We see the continued overwhelming surge of drugs into this country, crime that threatens our families.”
In a strong rebuke, Hawley said: “It’s infuriating to watch [the Biden administration] trample on the conscience of this nation and on the religious liberty of Americans everywhere.”
“It’s such an assault on who we are as Americans,” he added.
Hawley claimed that Biden has weakened and divided America: “Biden has intentionally tried to divide this country by calling half of the country — or more — fascists, calling them people who threaten our democracy.”
Pointedly, Hawley summarized his assessment of President Biden: “Frankly, I think for that reason alone, he is not fit to be president.”
Of his political ambitions, Hawley stated he was not hoping for a cabinet-level position in the next administration, noting he wanted to continue serving the people of Missouri.
“I hope that the people of Missouri will have me for another six years in the Senate,” he said. “My term is up in 2024, so I’ll be running for reelection then. I hope that they’ll have me for another term.”
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