Rep. Mike Lawler is accusing Sen. Ron Johnson of "peddling conspiracy theories" and "crap" about the 9/11 attacks after the Wisconsin Republican said earlier this week that he wants to hold more hearings to investigate the deadly terrorist strikes.
“Respectfully, Senator Johnson should stop peddling conspiracy theories about the worst terrorist attack in our nation’s history and one that forever altered the lives of so many of my fellow New Yorkers," Lawler, R-N.Y., posted on X while sharing an article about remarks Johnson made during an interview Monday with conservative influencer Benny Johnson.
In the interview, the Wisconsin Republican said he wants to hold more hearings about the 2001 attack after watching the documentary "Calling Out Bravo 7" and speaking to people who said they doubt the government's investigation about the attack, during which nearly 3,000 people died.
He said that he wants to seek the investigation through his position as the chairman of the powerful Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.
The committee in the past has investigated several other major issues, including organized crime, the 2008 global financial crisis and war profiteering.
In his interview, the senator said Building 7 of the World Trade Center Complex was brought down through a "controlled demolition" after the Twin Towers collapsed, a theory that has been debunked by experts.
The building collapsed in the hours after the initial attack, with an investigation by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) concluding that it collapsed from a prolonged fire that could not be put out because of water supply issues.
Johnson claimed that the NIST investigation was "corrupt."
"I don’t know if you can find structural engineers other than the ones that had the corrupt investigation inside NIST that would say that thing didn’t come down in any other way than a controlled demolition," he said. "There are a host of questions that I will be asking, quite honestly, now that my eyes have been opened up."
Lawler, though, called Johnson's comments "crap."
"Crap like this dishonors and disrespects the innocent lives lost, our brave first responders, and all families and survivors who still carry the pain of 9/11 each and every day," said Lawler.
Johnson said in a statement to Newsmax that it is the firefighters who have led the call for further investigation into 9/11.
“It is the firefighters who have been leading the charge for over 20 years to have their legitimate questions answered. I am honoring them by responding to their concerns," he said. "I recommend that everyone watch the documentary ‘Calling Out Bravo-7’ before criticizing those who are seeking the truth."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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