In the past, Republicans have sought to equate the largely white crowd of insurgents with multiracial crowds protesting police brutality against black Americans during the summer.
New evidence from federal prosecutors shows that there was a contingent of white supremacists among the rioters during the January 6 uprising, as well as extremist civilians and paramilitary groups. The uprising left several people dead and hundreds of people were charged because of the events on January 6th.
Johnson’s remarks outraged Democratic lawmakers.
Rep. Mark Pocan, from Johnson’s state of Wisconsin, tweeted Johnson on Saturday morning, saying the comments were “seriously embarrassing for our state”.
“We have gone from ordinary old fringe benefits, extremist remarks to extremist and racist outbursts,” Pocan said.
Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) Described Johnson’s comments on Saturday morning as “staggering” on MSNBC, saying the violent mob showed that “white supremacy is a threat to every American life and to our democracy.”
“Condemning comments, but certainly not surprising,” Pressley said.
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-California) questioned Johnson’s apparent lack of fear in a tweet Friday.
“I checked many of the videos and statements we submitted during the indictment. The mob killed a police officer and injured 140 other officers,” Lieu wrote. ‘They would have hurt you if they had caught you. That’s why senators hid that day. Remember you?’
Johnson’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
In the interview, Johnson also falsely claimed that the armed uprising was not an armed uprising.
Law enforcement officials said they found guns and bombs at rioters. Rioters chanted ‘Hang Mike Pence’, erected a loop, carried zippers and, among other things, some are facing weapons charges related to the uprising, including assault on a police officer with a dangerous weapon.
Johnson also cited the conspiracy theory that outside provocateurs were part of the riots, which Trump supporters often claimed.
Christopher Wray, director of the FBI, said during a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee that Antifa had no evidence in the uprising.