Republican Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson is not only continuing to support a sexual predator for president, he’s enthusiastically borrowing Trump campaign talking points. Johnson released the required denunciation of Donald Trump’s recorded remarks about sexually assaulting women—in Johnson’s words, it was “completely indefensible”—but he’s far more interested in recycling Trumpist talking points about how Hillary Clinton is somehow responsible for things her husband is accused of having done. So he’s trying to turn it around on his opponent, once and future Sen. Russ Feingold:
Johnson accused Clinton of having “not only threatened but trashed” women who alleged abuse by her husband, Bill Clinton. The former president never faced criminal charges in connection with the allegations. But Trump and his allies have latched onto them to argue Hillary Clinton is hypocritical.
“I don’t know how Sen. Feingold can support Hillary Clinton,” Johnson said.
Oh, yeah. It’s the guy who is, like virtually every other elected official in his party, supporting a highly qualified candidate who has never been accused of sexual assault who should rethink his position—not the guy supporting Donald Trump.
To be fair in assessing the damage Trump is doing to the Republican Party, Ron Johnson has often distinguished himself as one of the stupidest Republicans in the Senate. So maybe this is the kind of ridiculous counterattack he’d try to push no matter what. But it’s definitely also a sign of how few options Trump’s implosion has left members of his party. Which—let’s be clear—they fully deserve, having spent decades laying the groundwork for a candidate like Trump to rise.
Do you have $3 to help send Russ Feingold back to the Senate?
Does Donald Trump scare you so much that you want to vote early? Request an absentee ballot by clicking here.