Ron Johnson says he might have been concerned for safety had Capitol rioters been BLM and Antifa

[ck4829]

Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson on Thursday invoked race in explaining his sense of safety during the January 6 Capitol riot, saying that he might have been concerned for his well-being had the protesters been affiliated with Black Lives Matter instead of being a largely White pro-Trump crowd.

"Even though those thousands of people that were marching to the Capitol were trying to pressure people like me to vote the way they wanted me to vote, I knew those were people that love this country, that truly respect law enforcement, would never do anything to break the law, and so I wasn't concerned," Johnson said during the radio talk show "The Joe Pags Show." He was discussing his recent comments downplaying the danger that day and he has said he "never really felt threatened."

"Now, had the tables been turned -- Joe, this could get me in trouble -- had the tables been turned, and President Trump won the election and those were tens of thousands of Black Lives Matter and Antifa protesters, I might have been a little concerned," Johnson continued.

CNN has reached out to Johnson's office for comment.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/12/politics/ron-johnson-capitol-riot/index.html

[Maru Kitteh]

1. This is the Ron Johnson who told us it was "outside agitators" though

so how the eff does that work?

[Hugh_Lebowski]

19. It doesn't work (nt)

[madaboutharry]

2. Translation:

This is what Ron Johnson really meant to say: “I am afraid of Black and Brown people.”

This guy is a total zero.

[enough]

3. And saying this will not "get him in trouble". NT

[ck4829]

4. That's what he hopes

[tavernier]

5. Ron Johnson is a troglodyte.

[spanone]

6. Racist pig.

[malaise]

10. THIS

The racists aren't hiding these days

[spanone]

11. Hard to believe a U.S. Senator would say this out loud.

He even said 'this could get me in trouble' so he thought about this before he said it. He didn't misspeak at all.

Blatant racist.

[Luciferous]

13. Did you forget about Steve King?

[spanone]

14. Nope. They're a party of racists.

[Luciferous]

15. I know, that's why it isn't surprising they would say things like that.

[OrlandoDem2]

7. This is straight up offensive. Highly racist. He needs to resign!

[ck4829]

8. Yep

[milestogo]

9. He wasn't afraid because he was expecting it.

[Luciferous]

12. Truly respect law enforcement huh? Tell that to the cops who died and all the ones who were injured.

I wish this fucker would just keep his mouth shut, he's such a racist moron.

[MissMillie]

16. Office Sicknick's family probably doesn't care

whether it was Oath Keepers or BLM


But interestingly enough, the only person I can think of charged with murder at a BLM protest is Rittenhouse.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

17. Rachel Maddow called out the racism behind Sen. Ron Johnson's claims

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

The MSNBC host responded, “I might have been a little concerned. If they had been black, that would have been one thing, but these were white men who were convicted felons and members of large white supremacist prison gangs assaulting the officers and trying to kill the vice president. But look how white, how can I feel scared? Have you seen how white these men were? If they had been black — god bless you, senator Ron Johnson.”

More people in the media need to say exactly what Maddow said. Republicans need to be called for their racist defense of the Trump terrorists. Anytime a Republican mentions Black Lives Matter when asked about the Capitol attack, they need to be asked why they are bringing race into the conversation and how many Black Lives Matter protesters have attempted to overthrow the government?

Maddow nailed it. Republicans are defending domestic terrorism and sedition with racism, and they need to be called out on it.

[Boomerproud]

18. Nothing can be done about him?

An elected official. Member of an "august" body.

[Poiuyt]

20. I believe he could be recalled

Wisconsin tried doing that with Scott Walker but failed. The residents are probably a little gun shy right now.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

21. He really, really should've stuck with just 'Antifa protesters'

I'm pretty sure what he was trying to say was that he knew these people were on the same side of the political spectrum as him, and that since he's been a total Trump toady all along, these insurrectionists surely would've spared him.

Which is funny because he is one of the few Senators that actually tried to promulgate the whole 'it wasn't Trumpists it was Antifa and BLM people in disguise' bullshit just a few weeks ago.

Ron Johnson truly is one of the dumbest fucking people to ever hold a Senate seat.

[ck4829]

22. Yes, I decided to dredge that up as well

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215222823

[BlueNProud]

23. We had to kill police officers to show our respect.

[gulliver]

24. He "knew those were people that love this country...respect law enforcement...never break the law...

He couldn't say he "thought" it (later to be proven wrong). He "knew" it.

Shows what he knew. Shows what he knows.

People should ask him what he knows now, given his record on knowing then.