Debate audience laughed at Republican Ron Johnson’s claims and it only got worse from there – Salon

Republican Sen. Ron Johnsonrepeatedly facedlaughterandboosfrom the audience gathered at Marquette University on Thursday for the final debate between the two-term GOP incumbent and Democratic challenger Mandela Barnes in Wisconsin's key U.S. Senate race.

With less than a month to go before the November midterms, Barnes Wisconsin's lieutenant governor took Johnson to task over his opposition to abortion rights, support for cutting Social Security and Medicare, and 2017votein favor of former President Donald Trump's deeply unpopular and regressive tax cut for the rich and large corporations.

"When Senator Johnson talks about making Social Security discretionary spending, that means he's coming for your retirement," Barnes said Thursday night, referring to the Wisconsin Republican'scommentsduring a recent radio interview.

Barnes also spotlighted Johnson's opposition to raising the $7.25-an-hour federal minimum wage, which hasn't seen an increase inmore than a decadeeven as costs-of-living have soared. During last week's debate, Johnson went as far assuggestingthe federal minimum wage shouldn't exist, arguing the "marketplace" should "take care of it rather than government."

"It's odd that you can make the argument about inflation and how costs are increasing and not support raising the minimum wage," Barnes said Thursday.

During his time on the debate stage Thursday night, Johnson attempted to counter Barnes' criticism of hislong record of opposing abortion rightsby doubling down on his call for a state referendum that wouldaskWisconsin voters, "At what point does society have the responsibility to protect the life of an unborn child?"

Wisconsin Republicansrecently rejectedDemocratic Gov. Tony Evers' push for a reproductive rights referendum in the state, where anabortion ban from 1849is currently in effect following the U.S. Supreme Court's June ruling inDobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.

In his pitch for another term, Johnson declared that he has "honored" his promises to always tell the truth and never conduct himself with reelection in mind remarks that drew laughs from the audience.

Johnson was also booed when he asked why Barnes has "turned against America" in response to moderators' invitation for the candidates to express what they find admirable about their opponent.

Wisconsin is one of a handful of battleground states where Democrats are hoping to flip Senate seats in their push to retain and increase their majority in the upper chamber.

Jake Spence, Wisconsin state director of the Working Families Party, which is supporting Barnes, said in a statement late Thursday that the final debate offered "a glimpse into Ron Johnson's America an America where there's no minimum wage, where no one has access to abortions, where violent insurrectionists are protected by law, while Americans dependent on Social Security and Medicare are tossed aside."

"Trump Republicans like Johnson are good at just two things: restricting freedoms, and raking in millions of dollars for himself and his donors at the expense of working families," Spence added. "As senator, Mandela Barnes will go to the mat for working people, whether it's defending abortion access or ending bad trade deals. It's clear from tonight's debate and it's clear from everything we've heard at the doorsMandela Barnes is the right choice for Wisconsin's working families."

The rest is here:

Debate audience laughed at Republican Ron Johnson's claims and it only got worse from there - Salon