Ron Johnson dismisses Jan. 6 violence, acknowledges he exchanged text messages with Trump lawyer

Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson (R) admitted Tuesday to NBC News that on Jan. 6, 2021, Trump lawyer Jim Troupis did ask him to deliver the fake elector package to Vice President Mike Pence.

NEW: Ron Johnson acknowledges he exchanged text msgs with a Trump atty before and after staff made overture to Pence.

“What would you do if you got a text from the attorney for the president of the United States? You respond to it,” Johnson said. (1/2https://t.co/GDllju8jbf

— Natasha Korecki (@natashakorecki) October 4, 2022

“I got a text from the president’s lawyer asking if we could deliver something to the vice president and if I could have a staff member handle it,” Johnson said about the fake elector scheme after talking at the Rotary Club of Milwaukee on Tuesday. “What would you do if you got a text from the attorney for the president of the United States?”

This is the latest in a series of misleading and contradictory comments Johnson has made about that day. When the Jan. 6 House committee initially revealed that Johnson’s team was involved in the fake elector plot, Johnson claimed that an unidentified staff intern delivered the package to his office. When asked if he would look into who this person was, Johnson replied,“No because there’s no conspiracy here,” and that “he was not involved in this at all.”

While speaking at the Rotary Club event, Johnson also contended that the Jan. 6 riot was not an “armed insurrection.”

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) this morning at the Milwaukee Rotary Club: “To call what happened on Jan. 6 an ‘armed insurrection,’ I just think it’s inaccurate.”

“Now, some of the protestors did teach us all how you can use flag poles, that kind of stuff.” pic.twitter.com/GSmu4WLnyf

— Heartland Signal (@HeartlandSignal) October 4, 2022

Several armed individuals were in Washington during the insurrection, and hundreds have already been convicted for their actions on the infamous day. Armed or not, the individuals who stormed the Capitol injured dozens of Capitol police officers, and several people died as a result of the attack. Despite these facts, Johnson claimed that the event was “by and large a peaceful protest” on Fox News last year.

Johnson is gaining marginal ground in a tight race for reelection against Wisconsin’s Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes (D). Recent polling shows the candidates either tied or within single-digit percentage points of each other.