Ron Johnson: Media, Democrats Have ‘Done Vladimir Putin’s Work for Him’

During an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, addressed the question of select members of Congress no longer receiving in-person briefings from the Director of National Intelligence on election security issues.

Instead, the briefing will come in written format, and Johnson was asked by “State of the Union” host Dana Bash how he felt about that.

“Listen, Dana, I have been on top of Russian interference in elections well before 2016,” Johnson replied. “As chairman of the European Subcommittee in Foreign Relations, we held three hearings on the way Russia tries to destabilize the election systems of countries around the world. And that is what they have done successfully, because — because they were aided and abetted by people like Adam Schiff, Democrats and the mainstream media.”

He followed up by responding to Bash, who questioned the premise that leaks could be prevented if briefings were done in writing, and added the disruptions in the American political system were a product of Democrats and the media.

“I sit during — through secured briefings,” Johnson said. “This is being blown so way out of proportion. I could probably count on one or two fingers the things that are actually classified in those briefings. There is no surprise here. We know that different — that foreign actors are trying to influence, trying to destabilize our political system. But, again, we’re doing Putin’s work for him.”

“What Adam Schiff did with this false narrative, what the news media did in terms of false Russian collusion with the Trump campaign narrative, a criminal investigation, special counsel, that is what has destabilized our politics. It is how the media and how Democrats have taken that and basically done Vladimir Putin’s work for him.”

Follow Jeff Poor on Twitter @jeff_poor