Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., ruled out a presidential bid in 2024, according to Business Insider.
“No, I’m not running,” Hawley said Tuesday, without explaining further.
He elaborated on this position during a Fox News interview later that night.
“I’ve always said that I’m not running for president,” he said.
“It’s a privilege to represent the state of Missouri in the United States Senate,” he continued. “I just got elected barely two years ago. There’s a lot of a work to do, and I look forward to continuing to fight for Missouri every day that I can.”
Many Republicans assumed Hawley would put his name in the running in 2024 given his staunch support of former president Donald Trump and his lead role in objecting to the Electoral College’s certification on Jan. 6.
However, following the uprising on the US Capitol that day, leftists in Congress sought to pin responsibility on him.
Some—including, most notably, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio–Cortez, D-NY—suggested using the 14th Amendment to force him out of the Senate.
The fall-out might have played a role in discouraging him from pursuing the White House further.
Simon & Schuster rescinded Hawley’s book deal, and several conservative donors severed their relationship with Hawley’s office.
However, Hawley could change his mind. He has flipped positions on running for higher office before.
In 2016, during his Missouri attorney general race, one of his ads complained that “Jefferson City is full of insiders just climbing the political ladder.” More than a year later, he launched his Senate bid.
Hawley has also vocalized support for former President Trump’s 2024 bid were he to decide to run again.
“If he were to run in 2024, I think he would be the nominee,” Hawley said in December. “And I would support him doing that. He’d have a lot of support out in the country.”
Other rumored 2024 contenders include Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Tim Scott, R-S.C., former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, though none have commented on their future ambitions yet.
