Johnson, Baldwin Offer Radically Different Views on Musk During Town Halls
Baldwin criticized cuts, while Johnson called Musk one of the most 'brilliant' humans 'that ever walked on planet Earth.'
Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson
Wisconsin’s U.S. Senators got an earful during virtual town halls, Thursday, and shared polar opposite views on President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
While Democrat Tammy Baldwin blasted Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency’s mass firing of federal workers, Republican Ron Johnson referred to Musk as one of the most “brilliant, accomplished, effective human beings that have ever walked on planet Earth.”
Baldwin calls DOGE ‘non-governmental entity’ and says cuts are ‘frightening’
Baldwin answered submitted questions read by Stevens Point Mayor Mike Wiza during a Zoom town hall. She said her office has been getting 1,000 calls a day from constituents concerned about Trump’s executive orders and about the group led by Musk known as “DOGE.” One of the questions asked what members of Congress can do about mass firings initiated by DOGE.
Baldwin responded by saying DOGE is “not a government office.”
“It is sort of unsanctioned out there, but Elon Musk, who, by the way, is the richest man on earth, is heading it up,” Baldwin said. “And we are seeing all sorts of actions being taken by DOGE, by Elon Musk, that aren’t coming from government, but are actually taking effect nonetheless, which is very, very frightening.”
Baldwin said nearly 2,500 employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs have been laid off, including those in probationary periods. She said probationary status for most employees at federal agencies lasts for their first year or two on the job. Baldwin said the VA has a Veterans Preference Program, in which veterans serve other veterans but can work their entire career on probationary status.
“So, we saw when this mass discharge started taking place, veterans who had been working at the VA for well over a decade or more get fired,” Baldwin said. “And so what we need to do first of all is demand transparency.”
Baldwin also criticized Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives for passing a budget resolution calling for $4.5 trillion in tax cuts while calling for $2 billion in spending cuts. The committee overseeing programs like Medicare and Medicaid has been charged with reducing spending by $880 billion.
Baldwin said those cuts could impact more than the 72 million Americans who rely on Medicaid.
“Those dollars are paying for the nurses who are serving people who are on Medicaid. It’s paying for the community health centers,” Baldwin said. “It’s paying for critical access hospitals in rural areas across Wisconsin. It is paying to keep nursing home doors open, and if it goes away, we could see even more closures of skilled nursing facilities that take care of people who need that level of care.”
Ron Johnson lauds Elon Musk as ‘one of the most brilliant, accomplished’ humans to walk the earth
Later in the day, Republican U.S. Senator Ron Johnson held a much more contentious virtual town hall where he took the bulk of his questions from live callers. People attending the phone-in event were among 80,000 Wisconsinites randomly chosen for invites.
“My staff here told me we already have more than 400 questions, so have a very unique one if you’re going to bust through that crowd there,” he told listeners in the virtual event. “You don’t have to just be a supporter, so happy to answer questions from people that aren’t particularly supportive.”
He started by reiterating his concerns about the nation’s debt and ongoing deficit spending. The first question to Johnson asked “Why does Elon Musk have so much power? What is he doing?”
Johnson responded by heaping praise on the billionaire leader of DOGE.
“First of all, I think everybody has to admit that Elon Musk is probably one of the most brilliant, accomplished, effective human beings that have ever walked on planet Earth,” Johnson said. “You can’t dispute that. I mean, there have been many geniuses. He’s one of them.”
Johnson applauded Musk and his employees working with DOGE for putting in “80 to 120 hours a week” without pay to find waste, fraud and abuse within the federal government. He said Musk has been criticized for being unelected, but said he trusts someone appointed by the elected President over unelected bureaucrats.
“I think Elon is doing a fabulous job,” Johnson said. “He’s very humble in his approach. He said, ‘Listen, we’re going to make mistakes. We’re going in here. We don’t have much time on our hands here, but we’re going to correct those mistakes,’ and they’ve already done that very rapidly. So, incredibly transparent.”
Johnson said Musk isn’t overstepping any bounds and that it will be up to Congress to take DOGE findings and “translate” them into legislation to achieve long term savings.
“And that’s going to be a lot more difficult,” Johnson said.
Another constituent who said she supports Johnson and is hoping Trump will bring change in Washington. But she told Johnson her daughter works for the VA and she is “very concerned about her job and with the VA cuts that are being discussed with DOGE.”
Johnson didn’t mention the layoffs during his response and instead said VA spending has grown to $346 billion and said “the problem in the VA is that it’s run by a bureaucracy, and it’s also mismanaged, like all of government, okay?” Johnson said. “So, I really can’t really comment beyond that.”
Johnson told the caller the VA will be funded, but he’s hopeful Trump and Musk can make it run more effectively and efficiently.
Tammy Baldwin, Ron Johnson get earful from constituents during virtual town halls was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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Ron Johnson having owned the trophy for over a decade as being the most ignorant Senator in DC looks up to everyone when it comes to intelligence. No surprise he feels that way about Musk. RJ is so ignorant he doesn’t know how ignorant he is and sounds.
His only real interest appears to be increasing his wealth.
He has been quite successful in his 2+ terms so far.
But he really is just pathetic ass kisser.
Since Traitor trump has finally revealed his allegiance to Putin in the disgraceful display today, perhaps poor RoJo will finally grow a spin.
Not holding my breath, but I am laughing at the very thought of the poor guy actually getting a brain and a spine.
Ron Johnson has never advocated for anything that would help Wisconsin residents. He likes to be heard on the national stage so he can state that he is fighting corruption and devious political movements.
I’m surprised there wasn’t more opposition to the tyrannical actions of the trump administration and the over-reaching actions of the real brains behind the operation, Elon Musk (not a citizen by the way. Just saying.) Did they vet the callers and attendees, despite him saying he’d be so happy to talk to anyone who disagreed with him)? Seems odd, since all over the country, Republican legislators are being handed their hats.
I always thought Joseph McCarthy was the worst politician and biggest embarrassment the Badger State could produce. I was wrong. In my opinion, it’s Ron Johnson.
Effective communication is to redirect your comments directly to the Senator’s (or Congress person’s) offices via email, written letter or text messages, with copies to both of the Senators (so one cannot claim nonreceipt of such comments), but NOT TO THE COUNTY OR CITY officials, who have no influence on Federal affairs. Public forums on Instagram, X, and others, need to be used to counter the misinformation being distributed. Provide personal stories of how the federal chaos and threats are affecting us and our families, friends, and communities!
We readers of URBAN MKE are essentially preaching to the converted. We need to reach out to those 49% voters who voted for POTUS 47 and who continuously support Republican politicians here in Wisconsin and elsewhere!
Musk aside, RoJo now has an opportunity to disavow Trump’s pivot to Putin. Does anyone believe the U.S. will send troops to Latvia, a NATO member, when Russian troops pour across their border? Grow some balls, RoJo, you’ve got nothing to lose except possibly a parking space at Reagan National after the next election.
Leon Mush and the Dogebags are all working 80-120 hours per week with no pay. RoJo expects us to believe this, along with his assertion that Leon is brilliant, and the decisions being made are transparent.
No mention of the conflicts of interest involved as a result of many of these decisions that would help Leon line his own pockets. No mention of Leon’s insertion of himself and his political beliefs into how our government is run, as well as other foreign governments, supporting in all cases the parties of the far-right. No mention of the appearance that he is acting as co-president, with Frump just the Felon-In-Chief bystander that conveniently uses Leon and the Dogebags as his excuse for many of the abhorrent decisions being made, adding another target to the moniker “Teflon Don” that originally belonged to Mafic kingpin John Gotti.
RoJo, like so many reTrumplicans, believe the voting public is stupid and has no memory. I can’t wait to see how the voters of this country view elected officials that openly praise non-elected entities that slash their own government to shreds, who at the same time push for the far right-wing agendas of foreign countries that Leon and his First Felon espouse.
The US debt has to be reduced. We can’t afford to spend billions on interest. Where does the interest go?
I don’t think the rich need tax cuts.
Something has to change. We pay retirement to military officers who are conflicted in federal court for accepting bribes while on active duty—the Fat Leonard Scandal- and, again, there is no real punishment for those involved and full retirement. Failure in Afghanistan, Vietnam mistakes, and where is accountability? The United States runs out of baby formula.
Sadly, good federal employees are losing their jobs. It was also sad when Master Lock went to Mexico and those who died of drug overdoses. But something is happening that should help. The President is doing something that should help.
Mexico is being told – no drugs or tariffs. Drug cartels are now terrorist organizations. Why wasn’t this done a long time ago? How many people could have been saved?
Perhaps the people who vote are smart. There does seem to be a problem with test scores. I believe that voters understand that change is needed. Doing the same old things wasn’t working.