'All lies': GOP senator hit with fierce reply after hot mic comments aired in hearing

[turbinetree]

By David Edwards
Published February 12, 2026 10:48 AM ET

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison fired back at Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) after he blamed the state official for the deaths of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were killed by Department of Homeland Security agents.

During a Senate Homeland Security hearing on Thursday, Johnson grilled Ellison on the use of First Amendment rights in Minnesota.

"Are you aware of training for activists, Mr. Ellison?" Johnson asked. "In Minnesota, some of these protesters literally went through training... Are you aware of that?"

https://www.rawstory.com/ron-johnson-2675263090/

[a kennedy]

1. and so sorry, born and raised in Wisconsin, but so proud now I'm living in the State of MINNESOTA!!!

oh, and screw ROJO. 🤬 🤬 🤬

[Bettie]

3. We (DH and I) born and raised in Wisconsin

but we're in Iowa now.

It wasn't so bad when we moved here. Now? Not so great.

[GiqueCee]

2. C'mon, Ron...

... Really? That shop-worn bullshit about "paid agitators" might still impress the room-temperature IQs that voted for you, but anyone who can tie their own shoes sees through you in an instant. By the way, whatever happened to your promise to limit yourself to ONE term?
OOPS! I forgot. You're a Republican, so truth is for losers.
What an asshole.

[underpants]

4. F you Ron Johnson. You simpleton POS.

They are communicating that’s not training. You actually believe this complete f’ing BS your influencers put out and talk radio and Fox repeat?

Those two people are DEAD. They were murdered you sick f’ing POS.

[rampartd]

5. no rojo, that is safety training

here is where america;s fascist militia trains - florida.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/michael-flynn-is-recruiting-an-army-of-god-in-growing-christian-nationalist-movement

[Midnight Writer]

6. Somebody out on the streets should be trained. ICE sure the hell is not.

[Emrys]

7. NVDA (non-violent direct action) training has a long and honourable history

It aims to prepare people for situations they may encounter and help them react in helpful ways.

It's been around formally at least since the 1950s-1960s civil rights movement (and less formally well before then - see Gandhi etc.), and many groups, including Amnesty and Greenpeace, espouse it nowadays. I'm not surprised if Johnson's ignorant about that, he possibly sees the civil rights movement as an ugly and inconvenient blot on US history, nor that he can't conceive of people doing things not designed to enable them to profit financially.

I participated in many such sessions in my younger years, and also trained as a trainer. I was never paid, and never encountered anyone who was.

Some history and principles here: https://commonslibrary.org/nonviolent-direct-action-nvda-start-here/