The House Select Committee tasked with investigating the January 6 insurrection revealed surveillance footage of Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley fleeing the United States Capitol during the attack he had helped incite.
The footage, one of the latest developments during hearings into the insurrection, which took place when a mob of former President Donald Trump's supporters attacked the nation's seat of government on the false premise the 2020 general election had been stolen, is all the more striking because of Hawley's actions ahead of the event.
Hawley was the first Senator to object to the certification of President Joe Biden's electoral win and a now-infamous photograph taken outside the Capitol shows him indicating his support for rioters with a fist-pump.
He's now become the subject of mockery on social media after the video began to circulate but one Twitter user went further, creating now-viral thread of the footage set to different soundtracks.
The first one posted by Twitter user @The_Mal_Gallery is set to the famous theme from the historical sports drama Chariots of Fire.
\u201cJosh Hawley running away to a variety of soundtracks. \n\nPt. 1: Chariots of Fire #January6thCommitteeHearing\u201d— Mallory Nees (@Mallory Nees) 1658452881
Another is set to "Yakety Sax," otherwise known as the Benny Hill theme while yet another is set to "Gonna Fly Now," the theme song from the sports film Rocky.
\u201cJosh Hawley running away to a variety of soundtracks. \n\nPt. 3: Gonna Fly Now / Rocky\u201d— Mallory Nees (@Mallory Nees) 1658452881
One is even set to "Brave Sir Robin" from the classic comedyMonty Python and the Holy Grail and another is set to singer Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill," which saw a new surge in popularity after being heavily featured in the recent season of Netflix's Stranger Things.
\u201cJosh Hawley running away to a variety of soundtracks. \n\nPt. 5: Obligatory Kate Bush\u201d— Mallory Nees (@Mallory Nees) 1658452881
The clips quickly became the talk of the internet and many couldn't help but respond with laughter.
\u201cThis thread is the official winner of the internet today. Everyone else can go home.\u201d— Ayman (@Ayman) 1658489762
\u201cThe full thread is just perfection\u201d— Shannon in Ohio 4 (@Shannon in Ohio 4) 1658458783
\u201cThis is absolutely magical!\u201d— Smarty Pants \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf08\ud83d\udc15\u26be\ufe0f\ud83d\udcda\ud83c\udf3b\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83d\udc89 (@Smarty Pants \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf08\ud83d\udc15\u26be\ufe0f\ud83d\udcda\ud83c\udf3b\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83d\udc89) 1658459753
\u201cThis thread is just amazing\u201d— Mike Masnick (@Mike Masnick) 1658462819
\u201cThis thread is the palate cleanser we all need \ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude02\u201d— hollypollock \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 \ud83c\udf0a \ud83c\udf51 (@hollypollock \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 \ud83c\udf0a \ud83c\udf51) 1658459431
\u201cI am here for the @HawleyMO run away memes.\u201d— Kara Swisher (@Kara Swisher) 1658455831
\u201cI still contend there should be an Academy Awards for tweets each year. This thread would win.\u201d— Brandon Friedman (@Brandon Friedman) 1658456170
\u201cThis thread is comedy gold.\u201d— AJ \u2014 Agent Kibi (@AJ \u2014 Agent Kibi) 1658458094
Hawley's actions have also been heavily criticized, particularly by Michael Fanone, a former D.C. Metropolitan Police officer who sustained a traumatic brain injury when he was beaten with a flagpole by rioters during the attack.
Fanone, who attended the hearing as a guest of the House Select Committee, said Hawley's actions betray the depths of his cowardice when mere hours before he'd welcomed rioters to the Capitol.
"The way these guys perform in public, and then what they are in reality, you get a lot of that nonsense up here on Capitol Hill with these members of Congress that had become like a caricature in the media," Fanone said, adding that Hawley and others who fit the bill lack "character," "honor," and "integrity."