Hawley hits back at media criticizing him for selling book on Amazon: 'This is what we call a monopoly'

close

Video

Media top headlines May 11

Martha MacCallum pressing a teachers union president over critical race theory and more round out today's top media headlines

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. accused media critics of proving his point after calling him a hypocrite for promoting his new book, "The Tyranny of Big Tech," on social media platforms such as Twitter and selling his books on a "monopoly platform" like Amazon.

"Josh Hawley is using an iPhone, going on Twitter to beg people to buy the book on Amazon, his book called ‘The Tyranny of Big Tech’ ... Josh Hawley isn't stupid but he apparently thinks we are," MSNBC anchor Brian Williams said of Hawley.

"This is what we call a monopoly," Hawley's office responded in a statement to Fox News. "Of course Josh is selling books on Amazon - the overwhelming number of books purchased in America are purchased there. Amazon is a monopoly platform. If critics want to do something about that, they should support Josh’s plans to break up Big Tech."

HAWLEY WARNS BIG TECH COMPANIES WORKING TO 'TRANSFORM' AMERICA IN NEW BOOK

Hawley's press secretary Abigail Marone shared the same message on Twitter, thanking critics like Williams for making their point for them.

"The Tyranny of Big Tech" argues that Facebook, Google, Amazon and Apple are the "gravest threat to American liberty since the monopolies of the Gilded age." In an exclusive interview with Fox News, Hawley explained why he was getting in on the fight against Big Tech.

"This is a book that corporate leftists don’t want anybody to read, and for good reason," Hawley told Fox News. "This is all about how big tech and mega corporations are working hand-in-hand with big government to try to run our country, silence our speech, and take over our government." 

"And we have to stop them," he added.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Hawley claimed that Big Tech's influence stretches into the U.S. democratic process, claiming the companies "interfered big time" in the 2020 presidential election.

Hawley isn't without hope, telling Townhall in a recent interview, "I am optimistic because I think the American people will not stand for having their lives run by government run by woke monopolies."

"The Tyranny of Big Tech" was originally going to be published by Simon & Schuster, but the publishing company dropped the book after he objected to the Electoral College certification of the 2020 election on January 6, the date of the deadly Capitol Hill riot. The book was eventually picked up by Regnery Publishing.