Trump tried to call Josh Hawley six times before January 6, call logs reveal

A day before he was caught on camera sprinting away from a riotous mob of Donald Trump’s supporters, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley ignored or failed to return six separate calls and three voicemails from then-president Donald Trump as he was preparing to spearhead objecting to certifying the then-president’s 2020 election loss to Joe Biden.

According to White House phone logs made public by the House January 6 select committee, Mr Trump placed six phone calls to Mr Hawley through the White House switchboard on 5 January 2020, the day before Congress was set to hold the quadrennial joint session to certify Electoral College votes.

After three of those calls, the White House operator left messages for Mr Hawley, then the state’s junior senator, asking him to return Mr Trump’s call.

Mr Trump’s first attempt to contact the senator came at 9.37am on 5 January, with two more calls taking place at 10.04am and 10.11am.

At 10.18am, the White House operator left a message for the senator.

After an 11-hour break, Mr Trump began trying to reach the senator again, with calls going out from the White House to Mr Hawley’s phone at 9.21, 10.51, and 10.57pm.

The then-president also asked the White House operator to leave messages with the senator at 9.46pm and 11.13pm.

Mr Hawley has said he eventually returned Mr Trump’s call the next morning but never reached him.

Mr Hawley’s raised fist towards the group of Trump supporters on January 6 became an infamous and indelible image of the day of the Capitol riot. Mr Hawley even sold coffee mugs with the image.

Mr Trump also attempted to reach other GOP senators that night, including David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler of Georgia, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Ted Cruz of Texas. He also had phone calls with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, and advisers Rudolph Giuliani and Steve Bannon.