'You've started this fire': NBC's Chuck Todd slams 'Dirty Dozen' Sen Ron Johnson for sparking conspiracies about voter fraud that the rogue senators are using to justify plot to overturn election results
NBC host Chuck Todd ripped into Republican Sen Ron Johnson of Wisconsin for supporting an eleventh-hour plot to overturn Joe Biden's election victory.
Johnson is part of a group of 12 senators and senators-elect who have vowed to file objections when Congress meets to tally Biden's 306-232 Electoral College victory over Donald Trump on Wednesday.
The senator sought to defend the so-called 'Dirty Dozen' during an appearance on Meet the Press on Sunday, where he told host Todd that their efforts were justifiable based on the 'tens of millions of people' who believe voter fraud unfairly skewed the results in Biden's favor.
'We are not acting to thwart the democratic process, we're acting to protect it,' Johnson said as he argued that a commission needs to be set up to investigate allegations of fraud.
Todd swiftly rejected Johnson's claims, arguing that people doubt the election results because Trump and his allies have peddled their claims of fraud so loudly.
'You have failed to offer specific evidence of that widespread fraud,' Todd said, citing the nearly 60 legal challenges filed on Trump's behalf that have failed to make headway in court.
'But you're demanding an investigation on the grounds that there is widespread fraud. So essentially, you're the arsonist here. President Trump is the arsonist here.
'You've started this fire and now you're saying: "Whoa, look at this! Oh my god! All these people believe what we told them!" because you didn't have the guts to tell the truth that this election was fair.'
NBC host Chuck Todd (left) ripped into Republican Sen Ron Johnson of Wisconsin (right) on Sunday for supporting an eleventh-hour plot to overturn Joe Biden's election victory
Johnson hit back by saying that Democrats started the cycle of mistrust at the beginning of Trump's term by refusing to accept him as president.
'Chuck, this fire was started back in, your know, January of 2017,' he said. 'This started when the mainstream media dropped pretense of being unbiased.'
He started to say something about the media ignoring the investigation of Hunter Biden before Todd cut him off.
'Senator, all right. I've had enough of hearing this,' the host said.
'No, listen, I've had enough of this, too,' Johnson shot back.
The tense exchange escalated with the pair talking over each other before Todd eventually reclaimed the microphone with a blistering question about Johnson's motivations.
'Listen, I'm curious, senator, you've spent much of your time in the last two years carrying a lot of crazy conspiratory water for President Trump,' he said.
'You've used your committee to sort of create the illusion of voter fraud as you described earlier because there are "allegations".
'I'm trying to understand here what are you doing it for? You're not trying to overturn the election you just said. Are you simply trying to curry favor with constituents of the president's? Is that what this is about, a political ploy?'
Johnson replied: 'I'm trying to be transparent. You know, one of the things we found out in our hearing is the basic allegations kind of fall into three categories. The first is the violation over the enforcement of election law. There is voter fraud there.
'We had one witness talk about 42,000 people voting twice in Nevada. The other issue -'
Todd interjected: 'Just because you have somebody say it didn't make it true.'
Johnson tried to continue but Todd cut him off again, saying: 'Stop. You don't get to make allegations that haven't been proven true.'
Johnson got increasingly frustrated as he tried to explain how the so-called 'Dirty Dozen's efforts to overturn the election results are justifiable based on the 'tens of millions of people' who believe voter fraud unfairly skewed the race in Biden's favor
The senator then decried how his groups' concerns have been dismissed as 'quackery and conspiracy' and again insisted that an investigation is necessary.
'There is a double standard and we're not being transparent and dismissing the concerns of tens of millions of American,' he said.
'Again, I didn't light this fire. This fire was lit over four years ago and we've destroyed the credibility, you have destroyed the credibility of the news media by your bias.'
Todd pushed back by asking Johnson if he would investigate other outlandish conspiracy theories regarding the moon landing or the 9/11 attacks - further frustrating the senator.
The interview ended on a tense note - with Todd thanking Johnson for agreeing to come on the show.
In addition to Johnson, 11 other senators and senators-elect are planning to block the certification of Biden's victory this week: Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, James Lankford, Steve Daines, John Kennedy, Marsha Blackburn, Mike Braun, Cynthia Lummis, Tommy Tuberville, Bill Hagerty, and Roger Marshall.
Their efforts have driven a wedge into the Republican party as several colleagues - including Majority Leader Mitch McConnell - have urged them to let the certification go forward so as not to hurt the party down the line.
DIRTY DOZENS: The senators planning to file election results include (from left to right) Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, Ron Johnson and James Lankford
Senators Steve Daines, John Kennedy, Marsha Blackburn, Mike Braun also joined Cruz's faction
Also joining Cruz were incoming Senators (left to right) Cynthia Lummis, Tommy Tuberville, Bill Hagerty, and Roger Marshall, all of whom were sworn in as senators on Sunday
Former House Speaker Paul Ryan, of Johnson's home state of Wisconsin, joined the criticism in a rare statement on Sunday.
Ryan, who left Congress in 2019, said that it 'is difficult to conceive of a more anti-democratic and anti-conservative act than a federal intervention to overturn the results of state-certified elections and disenfranchise millions of Americans.'
He also urged the lawmakers to reconsider, saying: 'The fact that this effort will fail does not mean it will not do significant damage to American democracy.'
Former House Speaker Paul Ryan admonished fellow Republicans Sunday in a rare statement that called GOP efforts to challenge Biden's win 'anti-democratic and anti-conservative'
A bipartisan group of 10 senators - including four Republicans - also pushed back against the group's planned protests Sunday, authoring a statement urging Congress to certify the election results.
Republican Sens Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Mitt Romney of Utah all signed on to the statement, which said 'it is time to move forward.'
'The 2020 election is over. All challenges through recounts and appeals have been exhausted,' the group's letter read in part.
'At this point, further attempts to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the 2020 Presidential election are contrary to the clearly expressed will of the American people and only serve to undermine Americans' confidence in the already determined election results.'
Trump allies Sen Lindsay Graham of South Carolina, and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, both also spoke out Sunday, insisting Cruz and co.'s attempts to stop the certification of the Electoral College 'will go nowhere'.
The objections will force votes in both the House and Senate, but none are expected to prevail.
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January 04, 2021
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