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GOP senator (Ron Johnson) says he may have felt unsafe if BLM, Antifa had stormed Capitol
The Hill ^ | 03/13/21 08:01 AM EST | BY TAL AXELROD

Posted on 03/13/2021 8:01:02 AM PST by RandFan

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said in an interview this week he did not feel unsafe during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot but might have if Black Lives Matter protesters and far-left "antifa" activists had demonstrated there, setting off a new wave of criticism.

“I’ve also been criticized because I made the comment on Jan. 6 – I never felt threatened, because I didn’t," Johnson said Thursday on "The Joe Pags Show," referencing the insurrection that unsuccessfully sought to halt the certification of the Electoral College results.

"Even though those thousands of people were marching on 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, so I wasn’t concerned,” he continued.

“So had the tables been turned, Joe, this could mean 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’s remarks flew in the face of video showing pro-Trump rioters attacking police officers who were guarding the Capitol complex before the mob overran law enforcement and ransacked the building.

At least five people died from the riot, including a police officer. Two other officers who responded to the mob died by suicide in the following days, and about 140 officers were injured.

The statement echoed other comments Republicans had made trying to equate the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6 with Black Lives Matter protests that occurred over the summer. While many of the demonstrations against the police killings of Black Americans remained peaceful, some devolved into looting and violence.

Johnson’s latest remarks set off a wave of recriminations, with critics calling his equivalence between the different groups racist.

“Senator Johnson’s remarks are racist and unacceptable. There is nothing patriotic about storming the Capitol to attempt to overturn an election and murder elected officials. Apparently for Ron Johnson, simply being Black is a bigger offense than launching a violent insurrection. Ron Johnson is an embarrassment to the United States Senate and the state of Wisconsin. He needs to resign immediately,” Jessica Floyd, president of Democratic super PAC American Bridge 21st Century, said in a statement Friday.

"What, white people love this country and Black people don’t? That’s exactly what he’s saying," Wisconsin state Sen. LaTonya Johnson (D), who is Black, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Johnson responded to the criticism by noting the violence that stemmed from some protests last summer.

“Out of 7,750 protests last summer associated with BLM and Antifa, 570 turned into violent riots that killed 25 people and caused $1- $2 billion of property damage. That’s why I would have been more concerned," Johnson said in a statement obtained by The Hill.

The senator appeared to be citing data from a report released by the nonprofit Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project in September. That report, which identified thousands of protests between May and August, found that more than 90 percent of demonstrations were nonviolent.

"Over 10,100 of these — or nearly 95% — involve peaceful protesters. Fewer than 570 — or approximately 5% — involve demonstrators engaging in violence," the report stated.

The criticism comes as Johnson mulls whether to run for reelection in 2022. He remains undecided, though said last week that retiring is “probably my preference now.” His seat is expected to be heavily contested after President Biden won Wisconsin narrowly in November.


TOPICS: Government; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; US: Wisconsin
KEYWORDS: ronjohnson; wi
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Ron Johnson telling the truth again and the media don't like it!
1 posted on 03/13/2021 8:01:02 AM PST by RandFan
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To: RandFan

They did Ron.


2 posted on 03/13/2021 8:02:09 AM PST by Eddie01
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To: RandFan

Makes sense.

It was Antifa which planned and committed the murder a Trump supporter in Portland.

It is Antifa which attacks pro-American demonstrators .


3 posted on 03/13/2021 8:06:59 AM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire. Or both.)
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To: RandFan

Just look at the hours and hours, days and days of videos, and now to the lying voices of DEM politicians and all the lying MSM constantly inciting the HATE and you know one of the reasons the system stole the election was to prevent the BLM and ANTIFA like reactions we’ve seen - that and the fact they are just F;KING criminal mafia thugs that need to have their hears handed to them in the hands after the battle has been taken to them!


4 posted on 03/13/2021 8:08:09 AM PST by ldish (WAS Jan 6th-Last OPP? NO-but we CONSERVATIVES now know we should've been there!)
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To: Eddie01

Yep.

It was staged by the Left to take advantage of an opportunity too easily to manipulate to pass up, the talking points about insurrection already scripted and distributed.

With many thousands present we certainly don’t hear the liars of the Left calling it mostly peaceful, that’s for sure.


5 posted on 03/13/2021 8:08:35 AM PST by Rurudyne (Standup Philosopher)
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To: RandFan

“Over 10,100 of these — or nearly 95% — involve peaceful protesters. Fewer than 570 — or approximately 5% — involve demonstrators engaging in violence,” the report stated.

Would anyone fly on an airplane with a 5% chance of crashing?


6 posted on 03/13/2021 8:12:42 AM PST by Flick Lives (“Today we celebrate the first glorious anniversary of the Information Purification Directives.”)
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To: Flick Lives

Plus, blocking streets is not a “peaceful protest” no matter what the so-called “news” media claims.


7 posted on 03/13/2021 8:20:12 AM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire. Or both.)
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To: RandFan

“...At least five people died from the riot, including a police officer. Two other officers who responded to the mob died by suicide in the following days, and about 140 officers were injured...”

BS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ONE person died from the “riot”...Ashli Babbit, an unarmed veteran, shot without warning by a supposed “police officer”...

If 140 police officers were injured, it was because of their own stupidity...


8 posted on 03/13/2021 8:21:52 AM PST by JBW1949 (I'm really PC.....Patriotically Correct)
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To: RandFan

Joe Pags has several outlets in Wisconsin and can be heard on FM 99 WSAU am 350 Hope it’s heard on his weekend wrapup show.


9 posted on 03/13/2021 8:22:58 AM PST by mosesdapoet (AKA Lee J Keslin posting in the hopes comments get passed around )
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To: Rurudyne

“Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said in an interview this week he did not feel unsafe during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot...”

Notice how they’re now shifting to the word ‘riot’ (although ‘insurrection’ is used later)...inching closer to the truth.

Who knows, in another 6 months perhaps they’ll call it a Trump Rally, which is all that it was, until the people there were invited into the Capitol Building.


10 posted on 03/13/2021 8:29:42 AM PST by BobL (TheDonald.win is now Patriots.win)
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To: RandFan

So, he felt “unsafe” with those 2 groups, but he is “safe” voting to send our young men and women into harm’s way, overseas?


11 posted on 03/13/2021 8:30:06 AM PST by Terry L Smith
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To: RandFan
Antifa arrives armed with gasoline and bricks. The people on Jan 6 arrived with flags.
12 posted on 03/13/2021 8:44:13 AM PST by Gay State Conservative (Trump: "They're After You. I'm Just In The Way")
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To: RandFan

A Bernie Bro attempted to MURDER multiple Republican congressmen with a firearm and the media pretends they don’t know the motive.


13 posted on 03/13/2021 8:49:53 AM PST by a fool in paradise (Lean on Joe Biden to follow Donald Trump's example and donate his annual salary to charity. )
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To: RandFan

January 6 will be forever known as,

THE NANCY PELOSI CHICKEN DERBY


14 posted on 03/13/2021 8:58:43 AM PST by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer”)
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To: RandFan

Those who did the actual “storming” WERE ANTIFA, Occupy, etc. A few of our folks wandered in behind them.


15 posted on 03/13/2021 9:50:29 AM PST by JimRed (TERM LIMITS, NOW! Build the Wall Faster! TRUTH is the new HATE SPEECH.)
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To: RandFan

Can’t be racist when all antifa are white and a lot of blm are white.


16 posted on 03/13/2021 10:12:17 AM PST by Pollard (Bunch of curmudgeons)
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To: JimRed

Exactly Jim. Provocateurs mixed in with crowd behavior.


17 posted on 03/13/2021 10:42:23 AM PST by RandFan
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To: RandFan
Johnson’s remarks flew in the face of video showing pro-
Trump rioters attacking police officers who were guarding
the Capitol complex before the mob overran law enforcement
and ransacked the building.

They're not going to admit for one second that there were
people from the Left end of the political spectrum there
that day.

And Johnson has a very good point.

Would you feel more comfortable with people who rally peacefully
and carry signs, or people who riot, loot, commit arson, and kill
people?

This in some ways reminds me of the kid who is being charged
with those three shootings.

The Leftists were just innocent people on the street, and he is
deemed to be the real problem.

Never mind they were clearly threatening his life at the time
they were shot.

18 posted on 03/13/2021 11:27:46 AM PST by DoughtyOne (The Republican Party is dead. Long live the Founders Party.)
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To: RandFan
“Apparently for Ron Johnson, simply being Black is a bigger offense than launching a violent insurrection..." Jessica Floyd, president of Democratic super PAC American Bridge 21st Century, said in a statement Friday.
Aside from reaching pretty far down the food chain to get a quote, I'd like to point out to the "journalist" who wrote this that Ms. Floyd is conflating "black" with "Black Lives Matter."

Or, as we are told, they are one and the same? If so, there you have the problem.
19 posted on 03/13/2021 3:49:51 PM PST by nicollo (I said no!)
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To: RandFan
Didn't Johnson say at the Senate hearings that Antifa and BLM lead the mob and that Trump supporters were innocent followers? So then according to him Antifa and BLW DID storm the Capitol. Must be why he was cowering with his fellow Senators.
20 posted on 03/13/2021 3:53:41 PM PST by DoodleDawg
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