If you want to know which senator most closely matches the description of "populist," it's Hawley. He also recently took heat from the White House for pushing the pro-life agenda. Trump doesn't talk about abortion anymore. He thinks it will hurt the GOP at the ballot box, which may be true, but also tells you about Trump's actual commitment to the issue. If locking up violent criminals suddenly became unpopular, should our leaders stop talking about it because it might cost them votes?
I would love to see him distance himself from Trump more, though.
People who hate him hate his principles. People who like him like his principles. But, at least he has principles.
Rand Paul is another like him. Love him or hate him, what you see is what you get.
Consent Management