ToplineSen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) praised Alex Berenson, a former New York Times reporter who was skeptical about the Covid-19 vaccine, Monday and asked his supporters to sign up for Berensons newsletter, as he is becoming increasingly distant from his party leadership, which supports the vaccine.WASHINGTON DC, JULY 15, 2018: Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), gestures during a Homeland... [+] Security and Governmental Affairs Hearing to examine the nominations of Robert Luis Santos to be Director of Census, Department of Commerce and Ed Gonzalez to be Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security at a Senate Office Building, Thursday, July 15, 2021. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesThe Key FactsJohnson tweeted that Berenson had been a brave voice of reason during the pandemic. He encouraged followers to sign up to Berensons Substack in order to receive a valuable counter perspective on the group-think media after Berensons suspension. Berenson has been arguing that people should get coronavirus instead of the vaccine in recent days. He was also opposed to lockdowns and masks. This earned him a rebuke at the Auschwitz Memorial who compared vaccines to the Holocaust. Tucker Carlson Tonight's Berenson spoke out against Berenson's Twitter suspension. The Fox News frequent guest has found a place for his rhetoric within right-wing circles. He pumped up the Conservative Political Action Conference crowd last month with his praises of the low vaccination rates. Johnson quickly positions himself as one the GOPs most vocal Coronavirus vaccine skeptics. He criticizes the big push to get everyone vaccinated by April and holds an event in June to highlight the rare adverse reactions to vaccines. Johnson's position on vaccines is in line with a few House Republicans like Rep. Mo Brooks (R.Ala.), but not with Mitch McConnell, the Senate GOP Senate Majority Leader. McConnell has been one the most vocal GOP voices advocating the shots.Important BackgroundThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the three vaccines approved for emergency use by Food and Drug Administration were safe and effective. Nearly 350 million doses had been administered in the United States as of late July.Important QuoteI dont encourage, I dont discourage. Operation Warp Speed was my support. I am trying to give accurate information. I am not anti-vaxxer. Johnson said that he has had every vaccination since the swine influenza. He also stated that he will not be receiving the coronavirus vaccine because of a previous coronavirus infection. Forbes reported Johnson's story last month.Big Number48%. This is the percentage of votes that Democrat Tom Nelson (a county executive) received in a Change Research poll in March. The survey showed Johnson, who has yet to declare if he will run for office, at 44%. Wisconsin Lieutenant Gov. Mandela Barnes is also running.What to WatchJohnson indicated that he might not announce his intentions to reelect until after 2022, despite being up in November. This freezes a potential GOP primary field that could have already formed if Johnson had not opted out earlier. Johnson is seen as an extremely vulnerable incumbent by Democrats.
