KANSAS CITY, Mo.— Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley called Simon & Schuster a “woke mob” for canceling his upcoming book Thursday, the day after an actual mob loyal to President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol.
Simon & Schuster said in a statement it had decided not to release the Republican senator’s book, “The Tyranny of Big Tech.” The company added that it didn’t come to the decision lightly.
Hawley was the first senator to sign on to an objection to the certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, joining a challenge to Pennsylvania’s results that ensured Congress would debate the election Wednesday.
“As a publisher it will always be our mission to amplify a variety of voices and viewpoints: at the same time we take seriously our larger public responsibility as citizens, and cannot support Senator Hawley after his role in what became a dangerous threat to our democracy and freedom,” the statement said.
After rioters stormed the Capitol, Hawley faced condemnation for his objection. Former Sen. John Danforth, a Missouri Republican who had promoted Hawley as the future of the party, called his support of Hawley “the biggest mistake I’ve ever made in my life.”
Hawley, who has faced criticism for not more strongly condemning the violence, said the company’s actions “could not be more Orwellian.”
“Simon & Schuster is canceling my contract because I was representing my constituents, leading a debate on the Senate floor on voter integrity, which they have now decided to redefine as sedition. Let me be clear, this is not just a contract dispute. It’s a direct assault on the First Amendment,” Hawley said in a statement posted to Twitter.
The First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting speech, but it does not require publishers to print material, such as a book.
However, Hawley promised to “fight cancel culture with everything I have” and told the company he would “see you in court.”
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(The Kansas City Star’s Bryan Lowry contributed to this report.)
