MADISON, Wis. 鈥� Ron Johnson is in an uncomfortable class of his own.
The Wisconsin Republican is the only senator in his party facing reelection next year in a state that backed Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential race. But rather than moderate his politics to accommodate potentially shifting voter attitudes, Johnson is focusing even more intently on cultural issues that appeal to his party's overwhelmingly white base.
He has said the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd distracted journalists from covering immigration. He has lent credence to the white supremacist 鈥済reat replacement" theory. And he said he was less concerned about the predominantly white mob that staged a deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in January than he would have been if they were Black Lives Matter protesters.
Johnson has not committed to seeking a third term in 2022. But his seat probably will be among the most fiercely contested in a campaign year that will decide control of Congress and the future of Biden's agenda. Johnson's tactics offer a window into how Republicans may approach the midterm elections, with a focus on turning out the base and steadfastly dismissing any criticism, especially when it comes to issues of race.
鈥淚 know how just about anything any Republican or conservative will say will get taken out of context and exploited,鈥� Johnson told The Associated Press recently, responding to a question about his comment on the Capitol riot. 鈥淎nd I understand exactly how the left plays the race card all the time. I understand that. But there was nothing, nothing racial in my comments at all.鈥�
Johnson is hardly the only Republican taking this approach.
Donald Trump
More recently, House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy of California introduced a measure to censure Rep. Maxine Waters, a Black Democratic congresswoman from California, for urging people to 鈥渟tay on the street鈥� to pursue justice for Floyd. And a memo linked to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., proposed an America First Caucus hailing 鈥淎nglo-Saxon political traditions鈥� and warning of immigration's threat to the country's 鈥渦nique culture.鈥�
For Johnson, much of the controversy began when he said he wasn鈥檛 concerned for his safety during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot because 鈥淚 knew those were people who love this country.鈥� The crowd was overwhelmingly white.
鈥淗ad the tables been turned, and President Trump won the election, and tens of thousands of Black Lives Matter and antifa鈥� stormed the Capitol, 鈥淚 might have been a little concerned,鈥� Johnson said during the interview on nationally syndicated conservative radio show. Antifa are far-left, anti-fascist protesters who have joined Black Lives Matter advocates at demonstrations.
GOP pollster Whit Ayres said that 鈥渋nartful doesn't begin to describe鈥� Johnson's comment, which represents the broader challenge of defining the party's core principles.
鈥淭he challenge for the
But Johnson hasn't backed down.
Days after his comments about the Capitol, he suggested the news media was distracted from an influx of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border by the Chauvin trial in Minneapolis. And last week, Johnson nodded to the 鈥済reat replacement,鈥� a conspiracy theory promoted by white supremacists that holds that people of
Fox News host Tucker Carlson complained that he, a white man, had 鈥渓ess political power because (Democrats) are importing a brand new electorate.鈥�
Johnson appeared to spur such beliefs during a Fox interview with Larry Kudlow, a former economic adviser to Trump, by asking, 鈥淚s it really that they want to remake the demographics of America so they stay in power forever? Is that what鈥檚 happening here?鈥�
This is not the obvious path for someone who was first elected to the Senate in 2010 as a policy wonk more concerned with cutting spending than fanning culture wars. Some Wisconsin Republicans note a project he spearheaded to place unemployed inner-city Milwaukee workers in jobs, a program that helped some Black residents.
But others point to doubt that he cast about Biden's victory as then-chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee as yet another example of undermining minority voices. Johnson, one of Trump鈥檚 staunchest supporters, had signed on to objecting to Arizona鈥檚 Electoral College vote, but reversed course after the Capitol riot.
鈥淛ohnson may not be spitting on Black people,鈥� said Brown University professor Juliet Hooker, who is writing a book on the politics of white voter resentment. 鈥淏ut he certainly seems committed to pushing the idea there was widespread fraud in the 2020 election, allegations
Democrats have seized on the scrutiny. Prospective Democratic Senate challenger Tom Nelson, county executive in Johnson's Outagamie County home, has paid for a billboard in Oshkosh featuring Johnson's picture, with the word 鈥渞esign鈥� over his mouth, and the text: 鈥淩acism has no place in Wisconsin.鈥�
Johnson, however, is an astute businessman, playing to a politically active audience by bemoaning mainly during conservative media interviews his treatment by other news outlets, said Charlie Sykes, a former conservative radio host in Milwaukee.
鈥淗e picks up on what is playing in that world, and Ron Johnson is right there, right now,鈥� said Sykes, a devout Trump critic.
The senator also is stoking a theme that has soaked disproportionately into Republicans: that white Americans face widespread discrimination. It stems from the economic decline in rural, white, working-class communities who don't feel the effects of white privilege racial justice advocates describe, Ayres and others say.
A Pew Research Poll conducted last month showed that 14% of all Americans say there鈥檚 a lot of anti-white discrimination. The figure among Republicans was 26
Conservative media stoke the outrage by offering Johnson and others the opportunity to paint themselves as victims, Sykes said.
鈥淎ny accusation of racism must be in bad faith, they say, and is an attempt to cancel you, silence you and make you a victim, which then becomes a great way of getting attention from your base,鈥� he said.
The issue could shadow Johnson's campaign, should he seek a third term next year.
Turnout in Milwaukee, where more than one-third of residents are Black, was flat last year compared with 2016, though Biden carried Wisconsin as narrowly as Trump did four years earlier.
Johnson's racially fraught statements could spark higher Black turnout, said Wisconsin Rep. Gwen Moore, a Milwaukee Democrat. Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who is Black, is weighing a Democratic campaign for Senate.
鈥淚f Johnson dares to run, he鈥檒l be kindling for the fire that his candidacy will bring in terms of inspiring Democrats, especially voters of
Trump has heartily endorsed Johnson even though he hasn't yet announced his reelection plans.
鈥淗e is brave, he is bold, he loves our Country, our Military and our Vets,鈥� Trump said in a statement before a Republican fundraising gathering this month in West Palm Beach, Florida. 鈥淗e has no idea how popular he is. Run, Ron, Run!鈥�
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Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa.
Thomas Beaumont And Scott Bauer, The Associated Press
