In December 2020, Hawley provoked an intense political backlash when he became the first senator to announce plans to object to the certification of Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 United States presidential election. Hawley led Senate efforts to obstruct the Electoral College vote count and rallied supporters of the baseless Stop the Steal conspiracy theory that motivated a deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol, with figures across the political spectrum arguing that Hawley was morally responsible for the riot and the deaths it caused, and some calling on him to resign or be expelled from the Senate.