Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., Maintained on “Fox News Primetime” on Monday that there was “nothing racial” about recent remarks he made regarding the Capitol rioters and Black Lives Matter.
Johnson came under fire last week after saying in a radio interview that although he did not fear for his safety when Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, he was “perhaps a little worried.” if the mob is associated with Black Lives Matter or Antifa.
Maria Bartiromo, host of Fox News Primetime, asked Johnson to respond to criticism of the liberal “wake-up call” that attacked the comment on social media.
“It’s been blown out of proportion,” the senator replied. “There is no race in my comments at all. Leftists like to use the race card whenever they can. It is about riots and rioters and leftist activists and anarchists.”
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The senator explained that he “did not talk about the people who stormed the Capitol and assaulted police officers,” in his earlier remark. “I condemn that, as I honestly condemn, everyone who riots in the summer has also caused leftist riots by activists.”
“I was just talking about the vast majority of people I know, who are Trump supporters who love law enforcement, who support law enforcement, and will never even think about rioting or breaking the law. And that’s the vast majority. people who came here to Washington, DC, ” he said.
Johnson argued in an interview with Milwaukee radio station WISN-AM earlier Monday that his remarks could not be considered racist because several Black Lives Matter protesters were white.
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“Do you remember the left-wing activists, those protesters, that some of them turned into riots? Many of them are white,” he told the Associated Press. “So there is no racism involved at all.”
Johnson announced earlier this month that he may not seek re-election in 2022.