I may have felt insecure if BLM, Antifa had invaded the Capitol.

Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson is under fire after saying during an interview that he may have felt threatened in the January 6 Capitol riot if Black Lives Matter protesters and Antifa members had invaded the Capitol. “Even if those thousands of people who were marching to Capitol were trying to pressure people like me to vote the way they wanted me to vote, I knew that these were people who love this country, who truly respect law enforcement, would never do nothing to break the law, so I wasn’t worried, ”Johnson said during an interview on the radio talk show“ The Joe Pags Show ”. Johnson was talking about recent comments in which he downplayed the danger posed by the riot and said he did not “really feel threatened” that day.

Johnson then said something that he seemed to know would be controversial. “Now, if the situation had changed – Joe, it could get me in trouble – if the table had changed, and President Trump won the election and those were tens of thousands of Black Lives Matter and Antifa protesters, I could have been one little worried, ” the senator from Wisconsin said. Talk show host Joe “Pags” Pagliarulo seemed a little surprised by what he heard, but ended up agreeing with Johnson. “Wow, that’s a big statement,” he said. “But it is a true statement.” None of them seem to remember the videos showing pro-Trump protesters attacking police officers. At least five people died in the riot, including a police officer. Two other policemen later died of suicide and more than 100 other policemen were injured.

Some were quick to call Johnson’s statements racist. Representative Mark Pocan of Wisconsin said the comments were “seriously embarrassing for our state, ”Adding that“ we have moved from just old extremist speeches to extremist and racist speeches ”. Wisconsin state senator LaTonya Johnson agreed. “What, do whites love this country and blacks don’t? That’s exactly what he’s saying, ”said Johnson. “For him to say something as racist as that – it’s ridiculous.” Rep. Ted Lieu of California also criticized Johnson, pointing on Twitter that “the mob murdered a police officer and injured 140 other police officers”.

Johnson kept his words. “Of the 7,750 protests last summer associated with the BLM and Antifa, 570 turned into violent unrest that killed 25 people and caused material damage from $ 1 to $ 2 billion. That’s why I would have been more concerned, ”said Johnson in a statement.