GOP Sen. Ron Johnson Says Capitol Riot 'Didn’t Seem Like An Armed Insurrection To Me'
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) faced backlash and accusations of gaslighting after he downplayed the deadly U.S. Capitol riot and questioned its description as an armed insurrection.
In a radio interview on Monday with Jay Weber, Johnson said he condemned the Jan. 6 violence carried out by a mob of then-President Donald Trump’s supporters that left five people dead.
But Johnson claimed he didn’t feel threatened at any point.
“This didn’t seem like an armed insurrection to me,” the Trump ally said.
Listen to Johnson’s comments from the 14:30 mark here:
“When you think or hear of ‘armed,’ don’t you think of firearms?” Johnson asked.
“Here’s the questions I would have liked to ask: How many firearms were confiscated? How many shots were fired?” the Wisconsin Republican continued. “I’m only aware of one, and I’ll defend that law enforcement officer for taking that shot. It was a tragedy, OK, but I think there was only one. You know, if that was a planned armed insurrection, man, you had really a bunch of idiots.”
Court records, however, show the pro-Trump rioters brought various kinds of guns, ammunition and other items to be used as weapons into the Capitol.
Later in the interview, Johnson recalled “sitting back in my office watching video of the ‘armed insurrectionists’ staying within the lines inside the Capitol.”
“They’re not even venturing outside of the roped areas. I’m seeing a bunch of people milling about,” he claimed.
Critics accused Johnson of trying to rewrite the narrative around the riot.
“Is that the game plan? Is that where they end up after this is all over? Pretending this did not happen?” MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough asked on Tuesday’s broadcast of “Morning Joe.”
“We have the video of police officers being beaten, some within inches of their lives, beaten with an American flag,” Scarborough continued. “We have the stories of the law enforcement officers lying on the ground while Trump terrorists were beating them, and them thinking to themselves that they had four children and wondering if they would ever see their children again.”
"This didn’t seem like an armed insurrection. How many firearms were confiscated? How many shots were fired?” Wisconsin’s @SenRonJohnson.
Police recovered a dozen guns and enough live ammunition to shoot every member of Congress five times. https://t.co/SGRobpksll— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) February 16, 2021
Since we've never had an insurrection before, maybe @SenRonJohnson just doesn't know what one looks like. Even though people were hunting down the VP and other politicians and murdered an officer. https://t.co/TejB3DuksT
— Jeffrey Reddick 🌈 (@JeffreyaReddick) February 16, 2021
Outrageous & unacceptable. Facts matter @SenRonJohnson, & people died in that invasion of the Capitol.
— Phil Robertson (@Reaproy) February 16, 2021
Just some boys having some fun, eh Ron?
— (((Eric Koreen))) (@ekoreen) February 15, 2021
Really @SenRonJohnson? Do you think you could stop using dismissive rhetoric about the insurrection, which was a grave and serious threat to our democracy? You are embarrassing our entire state and insulting those who were injured or killed and their loved ones. Please apologize. https://t.co/WXL5ABCudl
— Katrina Shankland (@RepShankland) February 15, 2021
So the armed siege of the Capitol—by people who opposed our democracy—attempting to prevent the certification of our electoral college...wasn't an armed insurrection, @SenRonJohnson? https://t.co/cPQVy0sFAm
— Rep. Mark Pocan (@repmarkpocan) February 16, 2021
Hey @SenRonJohnson now you know. Care to walk back those ridiculous comments? https://t.co/dmjVFlLPlB
— Erin Kotecki Vest (@QueenofSpain) February 16, 2021
Few better define The Death of Truth than Ron Johnson https://t.co/I4rcKNdsmo
— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) February 16, 2021
This is ridiculous revisionist history. Police stopped only a fraction of the violent mob on Jan. 6, but we still know guns, explosives, knives and all manner of makeshift weapons were present as rioters attacked police and forced entry to the Capitol. https://t.co/CH2wdxUXBF pic.twitter.com/A0g4vY3Rjg
— PolitiFact Wisconsin (@PolitiFactWisc) February 15, 2021
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.