Michigan Rep Cynthia Johnson Removed From Committee Positions After Threatening Trump Supporters

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.

Michigan state Rep. Cynthia Johnson, a Black Democratic lawmaker who faced lynching threats and harassment following an Oversight Committee hearing last week where she leveled fierce criticism against President Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, has been punished by House Republican leaders for a video she posted to Facebook on Tuesday. Republicans say that's because in the video she appears to threaten supporters of the president.

Johnson has been stripped of her committee assignments, including her position on the House Oversight Committee.

In the short but rambling three-minute and 10-second Facebook post, it's not clear exactly what Johnson means when she issues her "warning to you Trumpers. Be careful. Walk lightly." She also says, "And for those of you who are soldiers, you know how to do it. Do it right. Be in order. Make them pay."

Johnson posted a second video later.

In a statement, Republican leaders called Johnson's comments "unacceptable and un-American." Republicans also said they are looking into further action as investigations are ongoing. The statement continued: "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. [Gretchen] Whitmer, Secretary [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."

This woman is clearly of her rocker, and wasn't removed soon enough...

Check out her ramblings in this next video: