Bigotry has come a long way in American politics. In one generation, we have gone from politicians who relied on dog whistles to cloak their racism to Donald Trump openly weaponizing it. With Trump out of the White House, other politicians are picking up the slack.
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., cited race in explaining why he felt safe during the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill riot. He said he might have been worried for his wellbeing had the demonstrators been associated with Black Lives Matter instead of being a mostly-white pro-Trump horde.
“Now, had the tables been turned – Joe, this could get me in trouble – had the tables been turned, and President Trump won the election and those were tens of thousands of Black Lives Matter and Antifa protesters, I might have been a little concerned,” Johnson said during an interview with conservative radio host Joe Pag last week.
Johnson by now is familiar with getting in trouble for saying something stupid. In February, he said that he did not believe that what happened on Capitol Hill was an “armed insurrection.” Perhaps he hadn’t heard that Trump supporters brought dozens of weapons to Washington, D.C.
Like Johnson, many Republicans draw a false analogy between what happened on Jan. 6 and the unrest that took place last summer in the aftermath of several police killings of African Americans. Although there were incidents of violence and property destruction, those marches for racial justice came nowhere near what happened at the Capitol, where five people died and more than 100 police officers were injured.
Johnson’s remarks are reminiscent of people who cling to the notion that the “lost cause” of the Confederacy was noble. He feels more comfortable with chants of “Hang [Republican Vice President] Mike Pence,” a guy wearing a Camp Auschwitz sweatshirt, and thugs beating Capitol police with flagpoles than he does around people marching peacefully for racial justice.
According to Johnson, people fighting against police brutality are villains and the largely white mob are heroes. In his racist world, there is nothing more heroic than a mob erecting a noose on Capitol Hill. Who at this point would be surprised to find Klansmen sheets stuffed behind the pinstripe suits in Johnson’s closet, ready to come out when they’re back in style?
It is a never-ending struggle to push our republic to fulfill its promise. We live in the greatest country in the world. Most of us believe that with enough hope, heart, and hard work we can achieve great things. We have witnessed it in the sacrifices for civil rights in Selma to the people who stood against white supremacy in Charlottesville.
The Founders warned against politicians capable of manipulating emotions. Our system of checks and balances struggles when one party willingly cooperates with an agitator to remain in power. Trump antagonized the crowd to take the country back. They became a mob that marched to topple the bedrock of our democracy in Washington, D.C.
For democracy to succeed – for America to succeed – the nation must have two viable political parties that can serve as a check on one another. They must advance competing ideas and offer Americans a genuine democratic choice. A Republican Party that embraces Johnson and Trump is not living up to its role in that system.
Americans must keep track of those in power and hold them accountable when they cross the line. A skeptical public that keeps informed regarding vital issues facing our society is essential to protect our society. It is in our hands to both maintain and defend American democracy against political demagogues.
Reform will come only when Republicans face more electoral losses. Lose enough races and enough power, and the party will have to turn its back on its Johnsons and the Trumps lest it wither away.
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This post is republished on Medium.
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