Two GOP reps meet racist troll Chuck Johnson 'to discuss genetic testing and DNA'
Two GOP congressmen met with noted white supremacist Chuck Johnson about "genetic testing and DNA," then deny knowing he's a white supremacist.
Holocaust denier and white supremacy troll Chuck Johnson, famous for lawsuit-worthy rumors he shit on the floor in public, met with Republican congressmen Andy Harris and Phil Roe on Wednesday in Capitol hill to discuss "DNA" and "genetics." Johnson is a eugenics proponent.
In the photo above tweeted by Matt Fuller at HuffPost, Reps. Phil Roe of Tennessee, center, and Andy Harris of Maryland, right, walk with Chuck Johnson in the nation's capital.
Reps. Roe and Harris are both medical doctors.
Chuck once wrote that Muslims are "genetically different in their propensity for violence or rape," and writes that black people have a gene that makes them violent.
He won't share details on his new "DNA" and "genetics" operation, including its name.
Why are Republican members of congress meeting with this man, not even a week after publicly denouncing white supremacist remarks by congressman Steve King (R-IA)?
Ben Collins of NBC News writes, "Chuck Johnson wouldn't comment on a FB post he shared that said African-Americans 'possessed a violence gene' or that 'Muslims are genetically different in their propensity for rape.'"
"Asking me to defend my views on Facebook is a little absurd," he told NBC.
Excerpt from Ben Collins and Brandy Zadrozny's report:
Chuck Johnson met with Reps. Andy Harris of Maryland and Phil Roe of Tennessee on Thursday. After a Huffington Post reporter tweeted a photo of Johnson with the two congressmen, and the photo attracted media attention because of Johnson's far-right views, Roe released a statement saying he and Harris had met with Johnson because he was representing a company advocating for "increasing the number of sequenced genomes for research."
Spokespersons for Harris and Roe both confirmed to NBC News that they had met with Johnson Thursday, and a spokesperson for Roe said they had discussed "DNA" and "genetics." Johnson and Harris would not identify the company when asked. Roe's office said it did not know the identity of the company.
Johnson is best known for his conspiracy-filled right-wing news websites, connections to white supremacists, and downplaying the severity of the Holocaust in an online forum. He declined to comment on his new endeavor or the meeting, telling NBC News in a series of text messages, "I don't discuss my work with people who don't understand it."
Both waited for him to get through security.
Rep. Harris was "unaware" of Johnson's previous associations, according to a statement provided to NBC News by a spokesperson. "Of course I disavow and condemn white supremacy and anti-semitism," said Harris.
Genetics in the context of race was not discussed in the meeting, according to Harris's statement.
Oh, sure. I'll bet it wasn't.
Read the rest: Activist who met with congressmen about 'DNA' posted about black 'violence gene' [NBC News]
Reps. Phil Roe and Andy Harris say they met with white nationalist troll Chuck Johnson yesterday "to discuss genetic testing and DNA" (?!?!?!?!) https://t.co/6EydeqcP3s
- Lachlan Markay (@lachlan) January 17, 2019
.@RepAndyHarrisMD says he was unaware of the "previous associations" of Chuck Johnson before meeting recently with the right-wing figure. https://t.co/RceQvwaKF3
- The Baltimore Sun (@baltimoresun) January 17, 2019
Rep. Phil Roe told us it does not know the name of Chuck Johnson's company, but still met with Johnson. He called Johnson's statements about Muslims "abhorrent."
Rep. Andy Harris disavowed white supremacy in a statement.https://t.co/mCkXveElUV
- Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) January 18, 2019