Hawley continues pushing at McCaskill with “Let’s Debate” events across the state

ST. LOUIS – With 68 days to go before the November general election, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Josh Hawley continues to travel around the state, hosting “Let’s Debate” events, his most recent stop landing him at the RNC headquarters in St. Louis.

Almost immediately after winning the Republican primary, Hawley challenged incumbent U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill to debate with him.

“Let’s debate everywhere around the state,” said Hawley. “Let’s debate now, let’s debate often, let’s debate everywhere.”

Since then, Hawley has hauled a trailer with him all over the state, setting it up at various locations for a debate with McCaskill over the last three weeks.

“I’ve brought [the trailer] with me everywhere that I have gone and Senator McCaskill has yet to accept my invitation and actually come here to debate,” said Hawley.

Hawley contends that studios or moderators are not needed to debate, instead saying they can simplify the process by stepping up onto the stage of the trailer behind the two podiums and directly answer the questions the public want to ask, and let the people make their own decisions on the issues.

“Let’s come right up to this stage and in the best traditions of our country, let’s let the people decide for themselves,” said Hawley.

Hawley noted that there are outside groups that are pouring in millions of dollars into the race, “trying to buy it for Senator McCaskill” and claimed that she “needs permission” from her party’s bosses to do her job as a U.S. Senator. To emphasize that point, he wrote a letter on behalf of McCaskill to Senator Chuck Schumer, asking him to give McCaskill the permission she says she needs “to actually do her job and come to the stage and debate.”

“Would you give her permission to vote yes on Judge Kavanaugh? Would you give her permission to build the wall? Would you give her permission to actually stand up and support our farmers?” he asked.


Hawley says that he does not remember another Senator from Missouri needing to ask permission to do their job, and reiterated again that he did not believe that a Missouri lawmaker should have to ask for permission to represent the people from the state.

“I think it’s time that we have somebody who is not going to ask for permission, but somebody who is going to stand up and represent the interests of the state,” said Hawley.

While the General Election is weeks away, the hearings on the next Supreme Court Justice is starting in less than a week.

Hawley says that one of the most important decisions that a U.S. Senator makes is the decision to vote on a Supreme Court Justice. “All of our most important values, all of the biggest issues that we face as a country are right now at issue with the United States Supreme Court,” said Hawley.

The race itself has become one of the most watched in the nation, potentially helping to decide which party controls the U.S. Senate.

“The real question of this race is whose values, whose way of life, is going to set the future of this country?” Hawley asked. “Is it gonna be the people who contribute to Senator McCaskill? Or is it gonna be the people of Missouri?”

Hawley said that Missouri is the heart of America, the best of America, and this November it will be Missouri’s choice that determines the future of America.

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