It raises its own power fist, in a picture push with a politician who has an R after his name.

Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) has been a reliable lightning rod, absorbing his share of focus and attacks from Democrats and the media. They have tried to position him as an emblematic figure of the violence that was seen on the Capitol grounds last January, if not the representation of the lingering resistance to the results of the 2020 Presidential election. Now, that image he’s cast has come under dispute.

One of the enduring pictures from the January 6 riot at the Capitol was of Josh Hawley turning towards an assembled group. The senator was walking in to cast his certification vote that day, when he turned and faced a group of vocal supporters; he raised his fist mid-stride, a sign of his lending support to the protest. This took place well before the violence that erupted later that day, but is held up as a regular piece of evidence that he backed the attack.

Now, it is over a year since that fateful event, and Hawley is looking ahead to the midterm elections. His campaign has decided to turn that image, used as a source of scorn for those on the left, into a positive. His campaign site’s store now sells coffee cups (among other merchandise) with the Missouri senator in the familiar pose, redone in an artful fashion, and the words SHOW-ME STRONG below it.

New: Josh Hawley is officially selling his 1/6 fist-pump as a mug pic.twitter.com/sNzCbaam1B

— Shane Goldmacher (@ShaneGoldmacher) February 14, 2022

But now, Politico says it is taking issue with Hawley’s… Mug-shot. The legal team from the news outlet claims that Hawley has no right to use his own image, as it is based on a photograph whose rights belong to their company. 

“We do not authorize its use by the Hawley campaign for the purpose of political fundraising, which the campaign has been put on notice of by legal counsel,” a Politico spokesperson told The Hill. “We are eagerly awaiting a response, but in the interim again respectfully ask that the campaign immediately cease and desist unauthorized use of the image.”

The path to this photo contretemps was indirect. The photograph everyone is so familiar with was taken by Frances Chung of Energy & Environment News. This past December, Politico acquired E&E News, which gives it the full claim to the photograph as the parent company. As a result, their lawyers have sent a cease-and-desist letter to Hawley’s office, to end the campaign’s use of what Politico claims as their intellectual property.

Hawley’s office, meanwhile, both claims to be unaware of the demand, as well as declaring they are in their rights. “We haven’t received any correspondence from POLITICO or anyone else, but we are in full compliance with the law,” spokesperson Kyle Plotkin explained to E&E News. Then Plotkin raised an interesting dynamic. “Perhaps POLITICO can show us the correspondence they sent to the many liberal groups who also used the photo.”

This does bring up a compelling question. If Politico is going to take this stance on their claim to the image, will they remain consistent and maintain that other groups or organizations cannot also access Hawley’s image? It could either become a costly enterprise for their legal team, or if they display permissiveness, it could be shown as a sign of taking partisan stances.

Hawley has steadfastly denied his gesture had anything to do with the violence that day, and it was not an indication of any support he had with the violence seen at the Capitol. His office has held the same steadfast position, and in the copy that goes along with the mug, via an email sent out when it went on sale, shows little sign of cowering.

“Liberals are so easily triggered, and this new mug is really whipping the left into a frenzy! Josh isn’t scared — he’s show-me strong! This Made in America mug is the perfect way to enjoy Coffee, Tea, or Liberal Tears! Check it out below, and order one for yourself or any woke friend or family member that you want to trigger!”

One of the fun aspects of an election cycle is picking through some of the odder branded trinkets from candidates are made available for sale Consider this a sign that season is getting off to an early start this year.