GOP Senator Says He May Have Felt In Danger If BLM, Antifa Had Stormed Capitol

His. Ron johnsonRonald (Ron) Harold JohnsonAshcroft turns down his candidacy to replace Blunt in Missouri Senate GOP faces brain drain in retirement A wave of Senate retirements puts GOP ranks on defense MORE (R-Wis.) Said in an interview this week that he didn’t feel in danger during the Jan.6 riot on Capitol Hill, but that he might have done so if Black Lives Matter protesters and far-left “antifa” activists had demonstrated there, unleashing a new wave of criticism.

“I was also criticized for making the comment on Jan.6 – I never felt threatened, because I didn’t,” Johnson said Thursday on “The Joe Pags Show,” referring to the insurgency that tried unsuccessfully to stop certification. of the results of the electoral college.

“Even though those thousands of people were walking on Capitol Hill trying to pressure people like me to vote the way they wanted me to vote, I knew they were people who love this country, who really respect the forces. order, would never do anything to break the law, so I wasn’t worried, ”he continued.

“So if the tables had been turned, Joe, it could mean some problems. If the roles had been reversed and President TrumpDonald TrumpPentagon Takes Heat For Extending Guard’s Time At Capitol Fundraising Spits Points At Trump-GOP Cracks Trump Rally Organizer Says Alex Jones Threatened To Take Her Off The Stage: Report READ MORE won the election and it was tens of thousands of Black Lives Matter and Antifa protesters, I might have been a little worried.

Johnson’s remarks flew in the face of video showing pro-Trump rioters attacking police officers guarding the Capitol complex before mobs invaded law enforcement and ransacked the building.

At least five people died as a result of the riot, including a police officer. Two other officers who responded to the crowd died by suicide in the following days, and around 140 officers were injured.

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

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

“Senator Johnson’s remarks are racist and unacceptable. There is nothing patriotic about storming the Capitol in an attempt to overthrow an election and assassinate elected officials. Apparently, for Ron Johnson, just being black is a more serious offense than starting a violent insurgency. Ron Johnson is a disgrace to the United States Senate and the state of Wisconsin. He must resign immediately, ”Jessica Floyd, president of the 21st century American Democratic Super PAC, said in a statement on Friday.

“What, whites love this country and blacks don’t? That’s exactly what he’s saying,” Senator LaTonya Johnson (D), who is black, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

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

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

The senator appeared to quote data from a report released by the nonprofit Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project in September. This report, which identified thousands of protests between May and August, found that more than 90% of the protests were non-violent.

“More than 10,100 of them – or almost 95% – involve peaceful protesters. Less than 570 – or about 5% – involve protesters engaging in violence,” the report said.

The criticism comes as Johnson considers whether to run for reelection in 2022. He remains undecided, although he said last week that retiring is “probably my preference now”. Its seat is expected to be strongly contested after President BidenJoe BidenPentagon Takes Heat To Extend Guard’s Time At Capitol Booker To Try To Make Child Tax Credit Expansion Permanent Sullivan Says Tariffs Will Not Be Central Talks With China READ MORE narrowly won Wisconsin in November.

Updated: 8:55 a.m.