‘Although the thousands of people marching to the Capitol tried to force people like me to vote the way they want me to vote, I knew that it was people who loved this country, who truly respected law enforcement, would never do anything. do not. to break the law, so I was not worried, ‘Johnson said during the radio talk show’ The Joe Pags Show ‘. He discussed his recent comments to downplay the danger that day and said he “never really felt threatened.”
‘If the tables were turned – Joe, it could get me in trouble – if the tables were turned, and President Trump won the election and there were tens of thousands of protesters from Black Lives Matter and Antifa, I might have been a little worried, “Johnson continues.
CNN reached Johnson’s office for comment.
Some conservatives have tried to strike a false balance between the events of January 6 and the unrest that took place during the summer following several genuine police killings of Black Americans. Although there were incidents of violence and destruction of property last summer, the riot at the Capitol in January resulted in five deaths, including a Capitol police officer, and more than 100 other police officers were injured.
The Department of Justice is preparing some of the first plea bargains for people who were subsequently charged in the investigation, which has been called one of the “largest in U.S. history,” with more than 400 possible defendants.
Johnson has repeatedly made outrageous comments that incorrectly characterize the riots. Last month, Johnson said he did not believe what happened at the Capitol was an ‘armed uprising’, despite court reports suggesting that supporters of then-President Donald Trump brought dozens of weapons to Washington on the day of the uprising. has. , according to the Department of Justice.
Later in February, Johnson argued the conspiracy theory that there were professional provocateurs within the mob at the Capitol. The FBI says there is no evidence that Antifa or any other group of left-wing instigators were part of the crowd on January 6 – much less those who incited violence – and nearly a dozen Trump supporters charged in connection with the uprising , said such groups were not involved in the attack. Many of the people arrested identify themselves with far-right groups such as the Oath Guards, and not with any far-left groups.