Walmart apologized Wednesday for a tweet that called Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley a sore loser for contesting President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the U.S. presidential election.
What We Know:
- The tweet was a response to Hawley’s announcement that he plans to raise objections next week when Congress meets to affirm Biden’s victory. The objections won’t alter the election results, but it could delay the certification of Biden’s win. The now-deleted tweet, “Go ahead. Get your 2-hour debate. #soreloser,” was mistakenly sent by a member of Walmart’s social media team who meant to publish it on their personal account, the company said.
- “We have removed the post and have no intention of commenting on the subject of certifying the electoral college,” Walmart said in a prepared statement. “We apologize to Senator Hawley for this error and any confusion about our position.”
Thanks @Walmart for your insulting condescension. Now that you’ve insulted 75 million Americans, will you at least apologize for using slave labor? pic.twitter.com/oYJP4Cv2qE
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) December 30, 2020
- According to ABC, Hawley still responded to Walmart with his own tweets Wednesday, asking the company if it would “apologize for using slave labor,” and for the “pathetic wages you pay your workers as you drive mom and pop stores out of business.” Walmart and other major retailers like Target and Amazon pay well above the federally mandated minimum wage.
- Hawley’s plan to challenge Biden’s victory in the Electoral College is only the latest Republican effort to delegitimize the 2020 election. Electoral officials, Democrats, and many Senate Republicans have acknowledged it as a Biden victory. A number of President Donald Trump’s supporters have continued to challenge the results in court and urged Republicans in Congress not to certify the election results. Still, Hawley’s plans are almost certain to have no impact on who will take the White House next month.
- Without evidence, President Donald Trump has said there was widespread fraud in the election and has pushed Republican Senators to back him up. But the Electoral College has already cemented Biden’s 306-232 victory, and numerous court challenges have been thrown out or rejected.
An apology has been issued, but no further comments have been made as of late.
