Sen. Hawley Criticizes Code Pink Over China Donations

On Wednesday, Senator Josh Hawley from Missouri confronted a Code Pink activist in a hallway, labeling her a “human rights violator” and alleging that the organization benefits from “blood money from China.”

Hawley expressed concern about the funding the group receives, suggesting, “I think the United States should investigate your organization and perhaps the funds you received from Chinese donors who are persecuting the Uighur people.” His comments came after the activist asked him about his stance on regime change in Venezuela. He referenced a New York Times investigation linking Code Pink to donors associated with Neville Roy Singham, a billionaire with connections to Chinese government media.

Since 2017, about a quarter of Code Pink’s funding has reportedly come from entities related to Singham, as noted in the 2023 NYT investigative piece.

During the exchange, the activist questioned Hawley about Israel, asking, “Isn’t it a ceasefire violation?” to which he promptly responded, “I’m pro-Israel. You hate Israel. You love China. You receive blood money from China. It’s simple.”

The activist countered Hawley’s claims, asserting that it’s a “lie” that they receive funding from China, which the group also claims on their website. The China Is Not Our Enemy Campaign Coordinator for Code Pink stated in April, “To be clear, CODEPINK is not funded by China or any other foreign government or entity. Our funding comes primarily from donations from concerned citizens who favor peace over war.” Code Pink did not reply to requests for further comment.

In April, Republican Indiana State Senator Jim Banks called for an investigation into Code Pink due to “growing evidence of deep ties” to the Chinese Communist Party, pointing out that the group often pushes for a softer U.S. policy towards China and tends to deny reports of atrocities committed by the CCP, including those against the Uighurs in Xinjiang.

Banks highlighted that in January 2025, Code Pink admitted to organizing a trip to Xinjiang, which he suggested was likely orchestrated by the Chinese government to obscure their human rights violations.

As the interaction ended, Hawley told the activists that they lacked the “moral decency” to acknowledge their funding sources. “While you’re receiving this money from China, you’re wearing a Palestinian flag. It says everything you need to know,” he remarked as he left.