DETROIT, MI- The Michigan state lawmaker at the center of controversy after her threatening Facebook video went viral is now claiming that she was the victim of “a public lynching” claiming her comments were taken out of context and the video left that context out.
“It was a public lynching,” Detroit state Rep. Cynthia Johnson said.
“It was a digital lynching is what it was. And it was accepted by the Republican leadership. And it was spread by the Republican leadership. And I was publicly berated by my own colleagues, by people who I thought knew me, by people who I thought knew that there was no way I would do anything to harm anyone.”
Johnson claimed she made the video in response to alleged threats of violence toward her, as well as racist taunts. She said that one woman had in fact threatened to lynch her while calling her the “n” word she alleged. She claimed that message was left on her voicemail.
The controversy arose after a Dec. 2 hearing in the Michigan House Oversight Committee in which Michigan lawmakers were looking into election fraud. Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani presented a series of witnesses who testified about fraud in the Michigan election, allegations which were ignored by lawmakers, BizPacReview reported.
Johnson in particular was unhinged during the hearing, she accused every witness of lying and demanded they be put under oath to testify. She outrightly dismissed dozens of witnesses who said they saw voter fraud.
“These people, our guests are sharing information—just sharing and sharing and speaking and speaking. No one is under oath,” she whined.
The committee chairman had to remind Johnson what the purpose of the hearing was, “to hear from people across Michigan who witnessed things at the TCF Center.”
She complained that witnesses were taking too much time and said that none of them were from Detroit which is where the TCF Center is located.
“They’re taking so much time, and I see no Detroiters here,” Johnson complained.
The committee chairman, Rep. Mike Hall reminded her once again why the committee was holding hearings, and Johnson once again complained that the witnesses were not under oath. He told her that putting witnesses under oath “is not done here in this state.”
This is when Johnson went off the rails, “It may not be done under the state, but you’re allowing people to come in here and lie, and I know they’re lying!” she screamed.
Giuliani interjected and told the committee that every witness at the hearing had sworn an affidavit, with one witness jumping in as well.
“I would do it!” said an East Indian immigrant from Michigan named Hema, one of the poll watchers.
“And I will still repeat the exact same thing I watched, and you know what? I also want to say one thing. If it is a lie, it may change because a liar has to have a lot of memory power. If it is truth, you can ask me in the middle of the night and still be the same.”
Rep. Cynthia A. Johnson accuses witness in Michigan State Senate Committee on Oversight of LYING about her testimony re: 2020 election fraud.
Her response is a mic drop moment.
“If it is truth, you can ask me in the middle of the night and it would still be the same.” pic.twitter.com/lUiwMhN7G1
— crabcrawler (@crabcrawler1) December 3, 2020
Johnson’s initial unhinged rant at the committee hearing led to her receiving a lot of pushback, including she claimed a number of threats and racist comments.
The video in question had Johnson thanking supporters, and then devolved into a rant against Trump supporters, during which she implied threats.
“This is just a warning to you Trumpers. Be careful, walk lightly, we ain’t playing with you. Enough of the shenanigans. Enough is enough. For those of you who are soldiers, you know how to do it. Do it right, be in order, make them pay,” she said.
Michigan Democratic State Rep. Cynthia Johnson threatened @realDonaldTrump supporters in a Facebook live video Tuesday, saying it is a warning message to those who support the president.
Read more here: https://t.co/QnUstXelby pic.twitter.com/cWIxH1hXL1
— Henry Rodgers (@henryrodgersdc) December 9, 2020
You can read into that message what you may, but it sure seems like a threat.
Johnson said the video was edited down to a 38-second clip which she claimed removed context from her comments.
“For instance, when my community says ‘soldiers,’ we’re talking about people rising up against racism, domestic violence, domestic terrorism,” she told Michigan Advance.
“When we say, ‘rise up,’ I’m saying rise up and vote, give people your money who care about you. Don’t give them not one penny of your money and make them pay. That’s how you make them pay.”
The outlet made the hilarious statement that the edited clip was “circulated through the right-wing social media, including Parler, Disclose.tv, Twitter and YouTube.” Wait, so Twitter and YouTube are “right wing media?” Clueless.
Johnson said the “threat” was not a threat but rather a “promise.”
“It was a promise that we will take dollars away from you,” Johnson said.
Johnson claims that when she refers to “Trumpers,” she doesn’t mean all Republicans, and claims that so-called “Trumpers” are “victims of the misinformation campaigns and exploitation.”
Wonder if she means “misinformation and exploitation” like, oh, Hunter Biden’s laptop story being throttled by the mainstream media and social media tyrants? Biden’s ties to China? That type of “misinformation and exploitation?”
Johnson then went on a rambling soliloquy about President Trump and Trump voters.
“We’re saying to this society, this racially systemic country, this stuff didn’t just happen with Trump,” she said.
“This is long before Trump. It’s just been old. He opens the door for them and say, ‘Come on in, do whatever you want to do. I don’t care how many lies you tell. I’ll help you get out of trouble. It doesn’t matter.’ And we’re letting these people know they’re not going to take away our votes. You’re not going to continue to disenfranchise us because we’re going to call you out every single time.”
Johnson was removed from her committee assignments by House Speaker Lee Chatfield and Speaker-elect Jason Wentworth, both Republicans, who issued a joint statement:
“Threats to either Democrats or Republicans are unacceptable and un-American. They’re even more unbecoming of an elected official. Rep. Johnson has been removed from her committee assignments, and we are looking into further disciplinary action as the proper authorities conduct their own investigations.”
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said at an unrelated press conference that she felt the punishment by House leadership had gone too far. She asked Wentworth to “reconsider” the punishment.
However even Democrats criticized Johnson, albeit tepidly. Outgoing Minority Leader Christine Greig and incoming Minority Leader Donna Lasinski issued a joint statement, calling Johnson’s comments “regrettable” and explained her comments added to political tensions in the country.
As to Johnson, she claimed she didn’t know about the “edited” 38-second clip until last Thursday.
“So, now, it just makes all sense now. Everybody was in an uproar…all these million people getting in an uproar, I’ve gotten thousands of death threats and complaints. All because some one person took what I said and took it out of context. And then my leadership said, ‘She’s guilty.’”
Of course, Johnson is now a “victim.” She complained that this is all a part of systemic racism. Because in 2020, everything is rrrrraaacissstt!
“We’re going to punish her for talking. How dare this black woman talk to us like that and challenge us? How dare she do her job?” she said of the Republican leadership.
Johnson was asked if the released video was in retaliation for her releasing the threatening voicemails and messages she had received.
“It was a way the threats came in, supported by the Republican leadership, to tell me to shut up and sit down and be quiet, be a good little n-word,” Johnson said.
Johnson apparently sees herself as a martyr, claiming that people need not only to apologize to her for her alleged “high-tech lynching.”
“They owe not only me an apology; they owe all of the city of Detroit and apology, they owe every black and brown person in America an apology; they owe every woman of goodwill an apology,” she said.
“Those are the people they owe an apology to.”
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