Republican Sen. Ron Johnson from Wisconsin reaffirmed this morning that he did not yell at Texas Sen. Ted Cruz during a Republican lunch last week after conservative Red State editor accused him of lying.
Republican Sen. Ron Johnson from Wisconsin reaffirmed Thursday morning that he did not yell at Texas Sen. Ted Cruz during a Republican lunch last week after Erick Erickson, the conservative Red State editor, accused him of lying about the incident.
“It is totally untrue,” said Johnson on Thursday’s The Daily Rundown. “I don’t lie. I’ve got a great deal of integrity.”
Johnson, who has publicly criticized Cruz’ strategy to defund healthcare, said on The O’Reilly Factor last Wednesday that no one had berated Cruz for his actions on the shutdown despite their disagreements with his strategy.
“We don’t yell at each other. There are lively debates, there are good discussion, sometimes pointed questions, but it’s all within the bounds of collegiality,” the Wisconsin Sen. said on the FOX show.
But Erickson accused Johnson of being the one screaming during the meeting and then lying about it now that Republicans, in his opinion, could win the budget battle.
“It’s funny to watch all these naysayer purveyors of conventional wisdom come to the realization that maybe Republicans can win this battle after all,” wrote Erickson on Tuesday.
Johnson addressed Erickson’s comments on Thursday to guest host Chris Cillizza when he said, “Erick Erickson ought to be ashamed of himself for not even giving me the courtesy of calling him to set the record straight.”
“Is there passionate debate, are there pointed questions? Sure,” he said. “I have never heard a Republican senator yell at another Republican senator. I’ve certainly never heard anyone scream at the top of their lungs, which is what they’re accusing me off.”