Tammy Baldwin slams GOP for wanting to 'whitewash' Jan. 6; Ron Johnson ticked off that Democrats now have anniversary to 'pound on'

Speaking on the U.S. Senate floor Thursday, Democrat Tammy Baldwin called out her Wisconsin colleague Ron Johnson, accusing him and other Republicans of trying to downplay the threat and bury the truth about the violent assault on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump one year ago. 

"Far too many would like to whitewash (that) violent day and pretend the insurrection was not an existential threat to our democracy,” said Baldwin, one of a number of Democrats in Congress who used the anniversary of the Capitol riot to remember and decry the events of that day.  

“My Republican counterpart from the great state of Wisconsin even called Jan 6. a peaceful protest,” said Baldwin, referring to Johnson. “These (comments) fly in the face of the truth. This is not right and we cannot allow the truth to be buried.”

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In his public comments, Johnson has both condemned and downplayed the violence, asserting the threat to the Capitol was overstated, blaming a small number of agitators for egging the crowd on, and accusing Democrats of using the event to paint Trump supporters as dangerous.  

In an interview on Fox News in May, Johnson said that "by and large it was a peaceful protest, except for there were a number of people, basically agitators, that whipped the crowd and breached the Capitol." 

In a radio interview on WISN-AM Thursday, Johnson said, "I don't defend the violence. I condemn it. It really ticks me off because it's given Democrats this, this anniversary. ... It's given them this issue to pound on day in and day out and ... allow them to overlook the open borders, the dangerous surrender in Afghanistan, the inflation, the out-of-control debt and deficit."

In her floor speech, Baldwin said: "A year ago, our former president, Donald Trump, and his big lie about the 2020 election incited a violent insurrection on our nation’s Capitol and an attack on our very democracy. We must never forget this dark day in our nation's history." 

Baldwin blasted Republicans back in Wisconsin for their ongoing reviews of the 2020 election, saying they are "pushing Trump's big lie" and "fleecing taxpayers."