Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) Criticized President Joe Biden for laughing and making jokes after a reporter asked him if he agreed with Hawley’s demand that the Department of Justice open a hate crime investigation into the Nashville mass shooting.
Asked if he agreed with Hawley’s assessment that Christians were targeted in the shooting, Biden laughed and said, “Well, I probably don’t then,” before clarifying, “No, I’m joking– I have no idea.”
Asked to respond to GOP Senator Josh Hawley's claim he believes Christians were targeted in Monday's school shooting in Nashville, TN, Biden tells reporters at the White House, "Well, I probably don't then," before clarifying, "No, I'm joking– I have no idea." pic.twitter.com/7BfVbdbXmN
— DJ Judd (@DJJudd) March 28, 2023
Hawley, while speaking with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, responded to Biden’s comment noting that they were “totally beneath the dignity of the Office of the President of the United States.
School children were killed yesterday in a hate crime – but rather than pushing for answers, Joe Biden is trying to make jokes. It’s beneath the office of the presidency pic.twitter.com/NS7mgLV0vJ
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) March 29, 2023
“Listen, this is a terrible tragedy. Biden should be acknowledging the targeting of people of Faith,” Hawley said. “He should be saluting the law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line and saved hundreds of kids. But he should be saying, ‘we’re going to get to the bottom of this. We’re going to call it for what it is. A hate crime and we’re going to do a full investigation. Make sure it doesn’t happen again.’”
Hawley, in another tweet, responded to Biden’s Comments saying there was nothing remotely funny about hate crimes.
There’s nothing remotely funny about hate crimes https://t.co/ubRLPciKn0
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) March 28, 2023
Following the Nashville Christian school mass shooting, which took the lives of six people, including three children, Hawley called on the Justice Department to open a hate crime investigation into the shooting.
We should be clear about what happened in Nashville. Police say the shooting was “targeted.” That makes it a federal hate crime – against Christian children and teachers. Targeting victims on the basis of religious affiliation is a hate crime. It should be investigated as such
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) March 28, 2023
Hawley described the shooting as a targeted attack on Christian children and teachers while adding that the victims were chosen based on their religious affiliation. Hawley noted that targeting victims based on their religious beliefs is a hate crime.
All federal resources necessary should be brought to bear. And those individuals or groups who have spread a message of hate against the Christian community – which resulted here in horrific violence – should be held to account
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) March 28, 2023
The GOP senator stated that all of the “federal resources necessary should be brought to bear.” Hawley also called for individuals and groups who have spread hate messages against the Christian community to be held to account.
