“I knew those are people that love this country, that truly respect law enforcement, would never do anything to break the law, so I wasn’t concerned.”

That’s Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, describing — just last week, on right-wing talk radio — how he felt when thousands of violent pro-Trump insurrectionists invaded the U.S. Capitol on January 6.

Just a few points, senator:

• If you love this country, you don’t attack its most symbolic building in a murderous attempt to overturn a democratic election and install an authoritarian regime.

• If you respect law enforcement, you don’t scream obscenities and abusive epithets at police officers who are guarding the Capitol. You don’t viciously attack them with flagpoles, crutches, bear spray, fire extinguishers, makeshift clubs, metal barricades, and your own fists. You don’t leave 140 of them wounded and three dead.

• If you would never do anything to break the law, you don’t participate in an unprecedented act of sedition that is by definition illegal.

Johnson added that seeing “tens of thousands of Black Lives Matter” protesters would have made him “a little concerned.”

Yesterday, Johnson doubled down:

“There is nothing racial about my comments. Nothing whatsoever. ... This isn’t about race, this is about riots.”

But not the insurrectionist, white-supremacist riot on January 6, I guess.

What the hell is going on that U.S. senators think they can spew this racist bile in 2021?

Racist rhetoric has been normalized by Fox News, Rush Limbaugh and his ilk, and, above all, Donald Trump.

It has been normalized because Republicans permit it, refuse to denounce it, and — in too many cases — actually subscribe to it.

Join Public Citizen in sending this simple message to senators, even — especially — Republicans:

It is your duty to demand, at a minimum, that Ron Johnson apologize and be punished.

Add your name.

Thanks for taking action.

For accountability,

- Robert Weissman, President of Public Citizen

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