Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson brought patients, grieving family members, doctors, and nurses together for an emotional discussion about their experiences inside hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. The packed event quickly reignited arguments surrounding America’s pandemic response, with supporters applauding Johnson for giving participants a platform while critics questioned the purpose of revisiting decisions made during the crisis.
Conservative commentator Benny Johnson described the room as “Absolutely PACKED” and claimed there was “not a dry eye in the room” as participants shared their stories. His declaration that “people are still very very angry” was certainly reflected online, with various commenters sharing their opinions.
The Wisconsin senator led the roundtable, titled COVID-19 Hospital Protocols: Real Stories From Real People, inside the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C. His office described it as the first event in Johnson’s continuing COVID investigations devoted entirely to what happened to patients inside hospitals during the pandemic.
Patients, family members, doctors, and nurses were invited to provide firsthand accounts of what they described as mistreatment and problems with hospital protocols. Johnson’s office said ahead of the event that the discussion would examine claims that hospitals failed to provide proper care to some COVID-19 patients, while participants described treatment decisions, separation from relatives, and disagreements with medical staff.
Benny Johnson went considerably further in his description of the event, calling attendees “real victims of Dr. Fauci” and claiming the federal medical establishment “destroyed their lives to push a hoax.” Those characterizations are his own, however, and the testimony presented at the roundtable does not by itself establish that Fauci personally caused participants’ experiences or that COVID-19 was a hoax.
Comments and Reactions to Ron Johnson’s COVID-19 Roundtable
Some commenters welcomed another examination of the pandemic response, but question whether another government discussion would ultimately accomplish anything. One commenter sarcastically wrote, “let’s do more hearings … WHY NOT ??? as useless as our GOV’T“
Others dismissed the entire event, with one commenter declaring, “Oh buddy, time for a clown show.” Another pushed back against attacks on Fauci by pointing to the worldwide response to COVID-19 and writing, “So STUPID. Dr. Anthony Fauci was Trump’s pandemic advisor. The whole WORLD shut down to stop the virus spreading! Europe closed it’s airports, Australia closed its borders! You’re ALL a bunch of LIARS and LUNATICS.”
As the discussion continues to go viral, renewed frustration has surfaced, and people are leaving their opinions in the comments section below.
