WASHNGTON – Senator Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican, came close to calling Minnesota Governor an enemy agent of the Chinese government. In a Fox News interview Johnson alleged that Walz has ties to China that are red flags to his being a “radical leftist.” The attack was the latest GOP attack on Walz, a Democrat, since became the running mate of Kamala Harris for the U.S. presidency. Johnson’s insinuation was widely ridiculed as an outlandish extrapolation from disparate evidence. It further branded him as easily duped by GOP colleagues to float things that would embarrass them to do themselves. Even so, Johnson promised Congressional hearings. “The House is going to investigate it now,” Johnson said. “It’s very strange. He got married on the anniversary of Tiananmen Square. He’s gone to China. He’s taught in China. He’s got deep connections to China.” Johnson didn’t say where he did his homework on Walz. Nor did he offer any evidence that Walz engaged in any political activity in China.
Wherein lies truth
FACT CHECK: Walz spent a year out of college and taught English and American history as part of the WorldTeach program.
FACT CHECK: Walz and Gwen Whipple married on June 4, 1994, as did 700,000 other Americans on U.S. soil on that date.
FACT CHECK: The marriage coincided with the fifth anniversary of the Tianamen Square massacre, but the massacre was such a black mark on Chinese government excesses that it’s a taboo subject in official circles , much less celebrated.
FACT CHECK: Although Walz has been to about 30 times to China, he has been consistently critical of the ruling Communist Party, as well as of China’s trade practices and growing aggression in the South China Sea.
The Harris campaign says the Walz’s knowledge and experience on China makes him an asset in charting intelligent paths for U.S. foreign policy.
Johnson. Again on outrageous fringe.