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MaddowBlog-GOP's Ron Johnson shares, then retracts, a conspiratorial 'rumor' about Mitch McConnell
“I’ve just heard from some other sources that was an older photo,” the Wisconsin Republican said of his ailing colleague. “So I really don’t know.”
After floating a Mitch McConnell conspiracy theory, Ron Johnson walked it back.
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-07-14T14:43:24.498Z
I’m curious: Did he realize that he went too far, or was Johnson worried about interfering with his ambitions to replace Lindsey Graham as the chair of the Senate Budget Committee?
www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/ron-johnson-conspiracy-rumor-mitch-mcconnell-photo
It stood to reason that the statement and photo would revive the conversation about why the former Senate majority leader hadn’t disclosed any of these details earlier — the lack of transparency surrounding his personal health has long been a point of concern — but some in conservative politics went further, floating assorted conspiracy theories about the authenticity of the image of McConnell and his wife.
The chatter was not limited to the far-right fringe.
....Hours later, when pressed by reporters about his conspiratorial on-air comments, Johnson said, “It was a rumor, don’t — discount it, just discount it. … I just heard it, so assume it’s false.”
The bigger picture matters. Johnson isn’t just some guy; he’s a three-term member of the U.S. Senate who was speaking to a national television audience about an ailing colleague. It’s the opposite of his job to amplify baseless “rumors” and add fuel to fringe conspiracy theories. As the Wisconsin Republican really ought to know, those in his position have a responsibility to avoid conspiratorial nonsense.....
With this in mind, his on-air comments about McConnell and what he’s “heard from some other sources” are consistent with what we’ve come to expect from Johnson, though this only makes matters worse for his unfortunate reputation.
Finally, that the senator walked back his own rhetoric seemed like a step in the right direction, though I’m curious about his motivation: Did Johnson urge reporters to “discount” the “rumor” he spread because he recognized it as irresponsible, or was he scrambling to better position himself as the next chairman of the Senate Budget Committee in the wake of Sen. Lindsey Graham’s death?
The chatter was not limited to the far-right fringe.
Sen. Ron Johnson on Mitch McConnell: "I just heard from a source that was an older photo"
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-07-13T21:07:00.989Z
....Hours later, when pressed by reporters about his conspiratorial on-air comments, Johnson said, “It was a rumor, don’t — discount it, just discount it. … I just heard it, so assume it’s false.”
The bigger picture matters. Johnson isn’t just some guy; he’s a three-term member of the U.S. Senate who was speaking to a national television audience about an ailing colleague. It’s the opposite of his job to amplify baseless “rumors” and add fuel to fringe conspiracy theories. As the Wisconsin Republican really ought to know, those in his position have a responsibility to avoid conspiratorial nonsense.....
With this in mind, his on-air comments about McConnell and what he’s “heard from some other sources” are consistent with what we’ve come to expect from Johnson, though this only makes matters worse for his unfortunate reputation.
Finally, that the senator walked back his own rhetoric seemed like a step in the right direction, though I’m curious about his motivation: Did Johnson urge reporters to “discount” the “rumor” he spread because he recognized it as irresponsible, or was he scrambling to better position himself as the next chairman of the Senate Budget Committee in the wake of Sen. Lindsey Graham’s death?
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