Critics say Wis. senator made racist remarks about Capitol riot
MILWAUKEE — Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson is being called racist for an interview in which the white Republican said he wasn’t worried about the predominantly white supporters of President Donald Trump during the deadly insurrection at the Capitol, but that he might have been if they had been Black Lives Matter protesters.
In an interview Thursday with syndicated radio host Joe Pagliarulo, Johnson said of those who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 to try to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s electoral victory: “I knew those were people who love this country, that truly respect law enforcement, would never do anything to break the law, so I wasn’t concerned.”
“Now, had the tables been turned, and Joe — this is going to get me in trouble — had the tables been turned and President Trump won the election and tens of thousands of Black Lives Matter and antifa, I might have been a little concerned,” Johnson said, referring to far-left-leaning protesters known as anti-fascists who resist neo-Nazis and white supremacists at demonstrations and other events.
Five people died during the assault on the Capitol, including a police officer, and 140 officers were injured. More than 300 Trump supporters have been charged in the storming of the building. Johnson’s comments sparked outrage among Wisconsin Democrats, including state Sen. LaTonya Johnson, of Milwaukee.
“For him to say something as racist as that — it’s ridiculous,” said the state senator, who is Black. “It’s a totally racist comment and the insult to injury is he didn’t mind saying it in the position that he holds because for some reason that’s just deemed as acceptable behavior for people who live in and are elected officials in this state.”
Ron Johnson told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he made the comment because many of the protests last summer over the death of George Floyd turned violent and caused widespread damage.
“That’s why I would have been more concerned,” Johnson said in a statement.