Indivisibles,

We’ll get right to the point: MAGA GOP Senator Ron Johnson is bad news for Wisconsin and the country, and we have the receipts to prove it. Read on to get the full list, and then help make sure we defeat him this November.

1. Starting off strong: Johnson just announced his cure-all to the labor shortage in Wisconsin is to

   “coax” senior citizens out of retirement. He also wants to raise the retirement age and slash Social Security all together. He is waging an attack on one of the most vulnerable populations in America -- making it clear that he doesn’t believe seniors deserve the benefits they’ve worked their entire lives for.

2. He declared the overturning of Roe "a victory for life," and he's long been a supporter of passing a national abortion ban. Johnson has recently tried to scrub his image as an anti-choice extremist, but he can’t hide that he’s co-sponsored multiple versions of Lindsey Graham’s national abortion ban in the Senate over the last ten years. His recent call for exceptions to Wisconsin's abortion ban through a voter referendum may seem moderate, but it only shows his desperation to overhaul his image (and, conveniently, is unlikely to even pass).

3. He believes that climate change is “bullshit.” In the face of record-breaking heat waves, wildfires, drought, and storms, Ron Johnson said that humanity could "easily adapt" to climate change and once declared that "mankind has actually flourished in warmer temperatures." He’s also received almost a million dollars from the fossil fuel industry. Coincidence? 

   (If these three reasons were enough for you, help fund all of our crucial election work to call, text, write postcards, and knock doors to defeat Ron Johnson and the MAGA GOP this November.)

4. Ron Johnson is no friend to the LGBTQ+ community. Originally, he said that he wouldn’t oppose the pro-marriage equality Respect for Marriage Act, but in recent interviews, he has stated that doesn’t mean he “supports” it. This sort of flip-flopping is a hallmark of Johnson’s policy stances -- a reminder that Johnson is running for a third term, despite his previous pledge to retire. This man cannot be taken at his word! He also wants to shut trans people out of public spaces: he objects to trans women athletes being able to compete in women’s sports, and calls the right for trans people to use the bathroom “creepy.”

5. He prioritizes protecting the ultra-wealthy (like him).

   PolitiFact confirmed that he pushed for a provision in the 2017 GOP tax bill that disproportionately benefited the wealthy like himself and his two biggest donors. Oh, and he recently told a constituent that the 1% already pay their fair share in taxes.

6. He pushes bogus claims about COVID-19 and the vaccine.

   In a video conference with a fervent anti-vaccine commentator, Johnson said “it may be true” that the COVID vaccine could lead to AIDS. His campaign since went into damage control over what he said, but he can’t hide that he’s helped fuel COVID disinformation -- he claimed the vaccines are not completely safe and supported unproven and potentially dangerous treatments such as ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine.

   Finally, drumroll please…

7. While MAGA extremists were marching on the Capitol on January 6th, Ron Johnson’s staff was trying to deliver fraudulent ballots to Mike Pence to overturn the 2020 election. Hard as he tried to deny and backtrack on his involvement in the attempt to overthrow our democracy, the January 6th Committee uncovered text messages proving his participation. Johnson also went to bat to defend the insurrectionists: “I knew those were people that love this country, that truly respect law enforcement, would never do anything to break the law, so I wasn’t concerned,” he said in an interview. He also threw in a racist dog whistle that, had they been “...Black Lives Matter and Antifa protesters, I might have been a little concerned.” We can’t count on him to uphold the results of future elections that don’t go his way.

This is only a fraction of all of the ways Ron Johnson has proven he’s a MAGA extremist hell-bent on rolling back our rights and undermining our democracy -- but we know how to stop him. Indivisibles on the ground in Wisconsin and virtual volunteers across the country are already hard at work in support of our endorsed Give No Ground candidate Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes. Barnes will be the leader the state needs, and the progressive fighter that we deserve in the Senate. 

Mail-in ballots begin reaching homes as soon as this week in Wisconsin, and Johnson is desperately trying to soften his extremism now that polls show Barnes within striking distance. We cannot let him fool voters into electing him to a third term -- we must urgently expand our budget and put even more resources into this fight. If you can, please donate $10 right now to ensure we can say yes to all of the expanded tactics, targeting and mobilization needed now through Election Day. 

In solidarity,
Indivisible Team

PS: If you’re not able to chip in right now, we still need your help! Share this post on social media, and sign up to volunteer with Give No Ground to do the work from now until Election Day and defeat the MAGA GOP. 

PPS: One more bonus entry to our list -- Ron Johnson just accidentally said he condones white supremacy on national TV. Who makes these kinds of mistakes?! 🤡