Republican leaders of the Michigan House of Representatives have removed Rep. Cynthia Johnson, D-Detroit, from her committee assignments in response to comments she made in a video she posted Tuesday on Facebook.
House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, and Speaker-elect Jason Wentworth, R-Clare, issued a joint news release Wednesday stating Johnson made threats in the video.
At the end of a roughly three-minute video posted Tuesday evening to Facebook, Johnson referenced law enforcement tracking down someone who made a threat against her before issuing what she called a warning.
"So, 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," Johnson states in the video.
"And for those of you who are soldiers, you know how to do it. Do it right. Be in order. Make them pay. I love y’all."
The last few seconds of the video have received considerable attention on social media, and were specifically cited in a news release Wednesday from the Michigan Republican Party. But in the same video, Johnson also calls on supporters to "hit 'em in their pocketbooks" and thanks people for "doing things right and in order."
Johnson, who is Black, received a litany of death threats and racist messages after she tried to question Rudy Giuliani during a recent legislative committee hearing. She has posted several voicemails to her Facebook page, including some calling for her to be lynched.
Johnson did not immediately return a voicemail or email seeking comment. In addition to her position as minority vice chair on the House Oversight Committee, Johnson served on the Agriculture and Families, Children and Seniors committees.
Chatfield and Wentworth did not reference any specific comments in the video or identify what they deemed threatening from the video, and a spokesman did not immediately respond to questions seeking clarification.
“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," Chatfield and Wentworth said in the joint statement.
“We have been consistent in our position on this — violence and intimidation is never appropriate in politics. We have said that about threats against Gov. Whitmer, Secretary (of State Jocelyn) Benson, Rep. Johnson herself, and others. That applies to threats made toward public officials, and it must also apply when the threats come from public officials. Behavior like this will not be tolerated this term or next.”
Gideon D'Assandro, a spokesman for Chatfield and Wentworth, said the video was referred to law enforcement. He did not specify which agency.
In a statement, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel condemned both the threats made against Johnson and the comments she made in the video.
“My office has received a number of calls and emails from residents about these incidents. I must remind people that if they have been threatened or if they fear for their safety, the appropriate thing to do is to call your local police department or 911, if it’s an emergency, so that law enforcement officers can respond," Nessel said.
"As Michiganders, and as Americans, we cannot allow hateful rhetoric from a few individuals to drag the masses down into a spiral of unjust actions. It is never acceptable for anyone — especially a public servant — to incite violence or to threaten others with harm. When vigilantes assume justice is theirs to serve, our democracy suffers. It’s time for us to move forward together as a state instead of engaging in — or celebrating — actions of hate and divisiveness.”
House Minority Leader Christine Greig, D-Farmington, and Leader-elect Donna Lasinski, D-Scio Township, issued a statement Wednesday afternoon where they labeled Johnson's comments "regrettable" while calling for an end to divisive political rhetoric.
"It is regrettable that her comments have led to the unintended consequence of adding further tension. It’s incumbent upon every elected official to be mindful of the impact of our words, especially in a moment of national tension and crisis," Greig and Lasinski said.
The Democratic leaders also blasted the move to remove Johnson from her committees, saying it "illustrates that the Republicans prioritize partisan politics and political theater over healing the wounds of division, preserving the well-being of the Legislature as an institution, protecting the safety of members, and acting on the needs of the people of Michigan."
At the start of the Tuesday Facebook video, Johnson thanks "everybody who is supporting our efforts, and when I say our efforts, I’m talking about doing things right and in order."
"Don’t get upset with folks, and start cussing them out and all that. Don’t. It never works," she states.
"Be smart. You don’t have to yell. You don’t have to curse anybody out. You don’t have to call people names. Hit their asses in the pocketbook. Hit ‘em in the pocketbook."
In a second video posted Wednesday morning, Johnson elaborated on her message to "soldiers."
"All you soldiers, soldiers of Christ. Soldiers against racism. Soldiers against misogyny. Soldiers against domestic violence and domestic terrorism. Soldiers: Rise, it's time for you to rise," Johnson said in a portion of the video.
In a news released Wednesday, Michigan Republican Party Chairman Laura Cox said Johnson was inciting violence with her "deranged Facebook rant" posted Tuesday.
"It was distressing to know that Representative Johnson received threats after last week’s hearing. However by issuing threats of violence of her own against the supporters of President Trump, she has sunk to the same level as the unhinged individuals who threatened her," Cox said, calling on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan Democrats to denounce Johnson's comments.
Representatives for Whitmer and Nessel did not immediately provide comments in response to requests.
Contact Dave Boucher at dboucher@freepress.com or 313-938-4591. Follow him on Twitter @Dave_Boucher1.