Ron Johnson (R-WI) is the Wisconsin senator who downplayed the Capitol insurrection and described the rioters as “families with small children … elderly … overweight … tired or frail … pro-police” (see story here).
But he’s worried about “mayhem” at the 2024 GOP national convention, which will be held in his state, and criticized the security arrangements (read story here). Specifically, he wants protesters fenced in.
Going on TV to press his case, he alluded to mostly peaceful BLM protests as “riots” (see first link above).
Johnson is one of the Senate’s most polarizing figures. His transgressions against intelligent discourse are many, and his assaults on democracy arguably criminal: He was an active player the the fake electors scheme.
As a serial purveyor of conspiracy theories, he’s been called a “clown” (see, e.g., story here); there even clown are caricatures of him (e.g., the picture above). Contemplating ordinary citizens exercising their free speech rights outside the upcoming GOP convention, he sees only dark conspiracies of the sort invisible to his eyes on Jan. 6, 2021.
His office tried to deliver fake elector slates for Wisconsin and Michigan to Vice President Pence, whose aide refused to accept them, see story here. Trump lawyers are being prosecuted for that; he probably won’t be, because he’s a sitting senator.
There’s a better reason to exempt him from prosecution: Culpability requires proving intent, and he’s too stupid to formulate one.