Sen. Ron Johnson: ‘Where are all the feminists?’

By Steve Schuster
[email protected]

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson asked a room full of journalists and members of the public: “Where are all the feminists?”

The question was in response to an audience member’s question asking Johnson about recent GOP legislation “protecting women in sports” from transgender and biological males.

“I never thought in my lifetime that we would see our daughters compete against biological males. I never thought we would see biological males expecting to shower in the girls’ locker room with our daughters. I never thought I’d see a judge order that happen,” Johnson said April 24 at a Milwaukee Press Club function.

“We ought to pass these protections for our women and for our daughters,” Johnson said after earlier praising the U.S. Supreme Court for overturning Roe v. Wade.

“Where are the feminists … standing up for women’s sports, for women’s rights?” Johnson asked.

Johnson then said he has “compassion” for those suffering from “gender dysphoria.”

Johnson spun circles into a direct audience question regarding a recent Facebook post he made concerning false scientific statements.

Johnson raised his voice and talked over people when directly asked from Paul Haig, an audience member, about comments posted on social media falsely claiming 600,000 Americans die annually due to receipt of the COVID vaccination.

Johnson stated he doesn’t post on Facebook, which left the audience confused as Haig was reading directly from Johnson’s Facebook page.

Haig queried Johnson, “Aren’t you Senator Ron Johnson?”

Haig said, “On an April 12 Facebook post you said 600,000 Americans are dying from the Covid vaccine.”

In response, Johnson said, “No, I do not believe that’s true. I’ve never said that vaccines cause 600,000 Americans death. What you’re saying is just not true. I don’t post on Facebook myself anyway,” Johnson added.

Another audience member then asked Johnson about how the Ukraine war fits into his vision for budget provisions.

Johnson said, “I don’t want to bluff or blunder our way into a nuclear holocaust … This is not like what it was prior to WWII. There weren’t nuclear weapons during that moment of appeasement. Now we have nuclear weapons.”

However, in reality, WWII ended with nuclear weapons due to the fact that nuclear weapons were used in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

A final audience member question began by saying he grew up as a Republican listening to Rush Limbaugh.

“I’m from Wisconsin … and you’re my Senator. Whenever you open your mouth about things I care about, it’s always pejorative, dismissive, and aggressive … How are we going to work this out?”

In response, Johnson got into a heated exchange and said, “I am very respectful of people who disagree with me … but … you do have to use some shorthand in this business talking about radical leftists.  I’m not talking about every Democrat.”

The audience member responded, “But you’re talking about me.”

Johnson responded, “If you’re a radical leftist and got some of these crazy views, I guess I’d call you a radical leftist (expletive).”

The audience member responded, “Why are (Democrats) crazy?”

Johnson said, “having biological males competing with our daughters, I think that is kind of crazy.”

In his closing remarks, Johnson said, “Critical race theory exasperates divide, driving greater division. That’s what I’m opposed to and I’m sorry I think that’s not only crazy, it’s destructive. … you fight for what you think is right OK. You can’t just layover and let this country be destroyed.”

As previously reported, earlier at the event when Johnson was asked by the Wisconsin Law Journal about text messages sent from his staff to then-Vice President Mike Pence’s staff to overturn the 2020 presidential election, Johnson said, “it was such a non-event to me and my office … it was a big nothing burger.”

“I know the biased media is trying to make it a big conspiracy. If an attorney for the president for the United States contacts asks you and says can you deliver something to the vice president, what are you going to do, ask him 65,000 questions and grill on him? I had no idea what was being asked to be delivered,” claiming that nothing was delivered. “My involvement lasted seconds,” Johnson added.