Sen. Ron Johnson defends debate dig at Mandela Barnes: 'The truth hurts when you're a radical leftist'
Wisconsin GOP Sen. Ron Johnson argues he's battling a 'highly biased media' narrative in his Senate race against the Democrat challenger.
Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, the Democratic candidate running against Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, seemed to compare a conservative Black singer to a slave and said he refuses to "accept" a Black sheriff as his own race.
Previous public statements made by Barnes were resurfaced by the Daily Caller.
RON JOHNSON PUSHES BARNES ON CRIME POSITIONS AS GOP PULLS AHEAD IN WISCONSIN RACE
Sen. Ron Johnson and Democratic challenger Mandela Barnes side by side. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Former Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, in particular, drew the ire of Barnes, who refused to acknowledge Clark as the same race as himself.
In 2016, Barnes boasted about being quoted in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article as saying, "I don't even accept [Clarke] as black."
Sheriff David Clarke attends the premiere of the film, "Death of a Nation," at E Street Cinema on Aug. 1, 2018, in Washington, D.C. (Shannon Finney/Getty Images)
In another comment, Barnes criticized musician Tina Campbell, part of the gospel duo Mary Mary, for supporting former President Trump. Barnes shared an article about the artist in which she cited her Christian beliefs as influencing her political support for Trump.
The lieutenant governor said of Campbell, "Guess the shackles are still on her feet after all," a reference to a hit Mary Mary song called "Shackles (Praise You)".
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mandela Barnes speaks during a televised debate Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Barnes is challenging incumbent Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., in a battleground race that has narrowed in recent weeks as Johnson has honed in on Barnes’ "soft-on-crime policies." Throughout his time within Wisconsin state government, Barnes has signaled support for defunding the police and abolishing ICE.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Barnes campaign for comment.
Fox News' Sophia Slacik contributed to this report.
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