Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Ron Johnson (R-WI) “completely understands” why the President would call Justice Department and FBI officials “scum.” Or at least, he said repeatedly Sunday that “I completely understand the President’s frustration.”
In an interview, the Wisconsin Republican used that phrase — “completely understand the President’s frustration” — six times in four minutes when asked about the President’s latest attack against Justice Department leadership.
Trump said at a 2020 campaign rally Saturday: “If you look at what’s happened with the scum that’s leaving the very top of government, people that others used to say, ‘these were dirty cops, these were dirty players.’”
“Is that the right way for the President of the United States to speak about law enforcement officers of the U.S. government?” NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell asked Johnson Sunday.
“Well, first of all, I completely understand the President’s frustration,” Johnson said, before avoiding the question and then repeating that “I understand the President’s frustration,” and then repeating it again.
Mitchel repeated her question.
“Probably, I would use different words, but I’ve certainly questioned the possibility, and now I think the proven fact, that there was definitely corruption at the highest levels of the FBI,” Johnson said.
Later, after Mitchell asked why other Republicans hadn’t respond to the redacted Mueller report with a statement like Sen. Mitt Romney’s (R-UT), which was critical of the President and his administration, Johnson repeated himself again.
“Maybe it’s because I understand the President’s frustration at being subjected to a witch hunt for two years,” he said, adding: “I understand the President’s frustration. And I also understand the President’s supporters’ frustration of the media just continuing, continuing this witch hunt. It is ridiculous.”
Ron Johnson completely understands the President's frustration. pic.twitter.com/jzeASynucC
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) April 29, 2019
