Michigan businessman and Republican presidential hopeful Perry Johnson said he’s not worried about his underdog status in the GOP presidential race.
Johnson stopped in Hiawatha Thursday as part of his “Fire Biden” bus tour across Iowa.
Johnson wants to cut 2 cents off every dollar of federal discretionary spending year after year — a plan that is the centerpiece of a book he's written, and one he believes could stop inflation and solve the nation's debt crisis.
Advertisement
“I want to put the government on a diet,” Johnson said.
Johnson is spending millions of his own money to campaign, including $192,000 on a Super Bowl ad targeting voters in the leadoff caucus state for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.
Johnson placed third in the CPAC straw poll with 5 percent but has failed to register in national polling.
“You have a David and Goliath uphill battle, and I think you know that,” Cedar Rapids resident Chad Charkowski, 47, told Johnson during a brief Q&A with the candidate. “How are you going to shock the world and become president?”
Republican presidential hopeful Perry Johnson speaks at a Thursday campaign event at- the Lucky Penny Pub during his nine-day bus tour of Iowa, The Michigan businessman said he wants to put government “on a diet.” (Geoff Stellfox/The Gazette)
Johnson noted not many people took former President Donald Trump seriously in 2015, when he first ran for president, and many laughed off the campaign by the outspoken billionaire and TV personality.
Johnson referred to himself “Trump without the baggage,” a dig at his main rival in the 2024 GOP race for the White House.
Newsletter Signup
Legislative & Politics News Delivered to your inbox each weekday
“I don’t have a Stormy Daniels,” he said, referring to the adult film star who claims she had an affair with Trump and was paid by Trump's legal team to avoid going public with the story ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
“I’ve never had a company go bankrupt,” Johnson continued, adding Trump already lost to President Joe Biden once in 2020.
To win back the White House, Johnson said, Republicans need to “galvanize” the independent voters Trump has “alienated.”
He said he feels his plans to tame inflation, solve the nation’s debt crisis and make life affordable again will resonate with independent voters.
Republican presidential hopeful Perry Johnson speaks Thursday in Hiawatha as part of his nine-day tour of Iowa. (Geoff Stellfox/The Gazette)
Johnson, though, acknowledged his highest hurdle will be qualifying for the Republican presidential debates.
“If I get to the debate stage, I believe I’m going to win. I wouldn’t be in the race unless I thought I would,” he said. “Two months ago, nobody ever heard of me. But you go and ask them the name ID, I’m running around 75 to 80 percent name ID in Iowa. … And it’s very early on, to say the least. And at this stage in the game, nobody is going to have any idea who’s gonna win.”
Johnson ran for governor of Michigan last year but was disqualified with four other candidates due to invalid nominating petition signatures.
He made his money by promoting and implementing statistical controls and standardization in the automotive industry. He hopes to take the principles of quality control that he used in the automotive industry and apply them to the federal government to “get spending under control and tame our nation’s record inflation,” according to his campaign.
"I am pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, anti-woke, anti-China, and I am pro-freedom,“ he told the group of around 30 Iowans gathered for a meet-and-greet with the candidate at the Lucky Penny Pub in Hiawatha.
Johnson called for dismantling the U.S. Department of Education and said he would ban gender-affirming “transition therapy” for transgender youth — a popular proposal among Republican candidates. He also said he disagrees with U.S. financial support of Ukraine’s ongoing military defense against Russia’s invasion.
“I think it’s ridiculous to send $100 billion to Ukraine when we’re going broke,” Johnson said to applause.
He also voiced concerns over the rising costs of homes, college tuition and health care.
Johnson also called the construction of proposed carbon capture pipelines in Iowa “nutty.” He opposes the use of eminent domain for the private projects that, he said, will not significantly reduce carbon emissions.
Republican presidential hopeful Perry Johnson speaks at a meet-and-greet Thursday at the Lucky Penny Pub in Hiawatha. (Geoff Stellfox/The Gazette)
Johnson also criticized Vivek Ramaswamy, the 37-year-old biotech entrepreneur from Ohio who is also seeking the GOP presidential nomination, for his proposal to raise the voting age from 18 to 25, unless a person is in the military, a first responder or can pass the U.S. citizenship test.
Johnson said raising the voting age would disenfranchise young voters and undermine their rights as citizens.
“I think that’s the stupidest thing I ever heard,” Johnson said. “We have the younger people voting for Democrats, because the Republicans don’t cultivate that group. We have to do just the opposite. How in heaven’s name is that encouraging people to vote for you, if you tell them that if you get elected, they can’t vote anymore?”
Charkowski, the Cedar Rapids resident, said he’s pleased to see a fiscal conservative like Johnson running.
“The amount of money the government is spending is and has been out of control for some time,” he said. “I think he’s going to bring the hammer on the federal government, if he makes it there.”
Charkowski said he has yet to decide which candidate he will support in the Republican caucuses, and that it was too early to tell what Johnson’s chances will be in the Iowa caucuses.
They key, he said, will be how effective Johnson is at getting his message out.
“His message resonates with everyone from less government, common-sense policies,” Charkowski said. “(He) absolutely has a chance, but would have to put a good message out. … And I do love his tagline. He’s Trump without the baggage. … That’s the piece that excited me about coming to hear him.”
Kevin Slaman, 71, of Marion, agreed.
“Perry is a strong personality. He’s fiscally responsible. That resonates with a lot of people,” Slaman said, adding it’s still too early to say who he will caucus for.
“It’s going to be a battle, though,” Slaman said. “He’s a guy who knows how to manage money, and that’s what’s so important for our country right now.”
www.thegazette.com
Johnson stopped in Hiawatha Thursday as part of his “Fire Biden” bus tour across Iowa.
Johnson wants to cut 2 cents off every dollar of federal discretionary spending year after year — a plan that is the centerpiece of a book he's written, and one he believes could stop inflation and solve the nation's debt crisis.
Advertisement
“I want to put the government on a diet,” Johnson said.
Johnson is spending millions of his own money to campaign, including $192,000 on a Super Bowl ad targeting voters in the leadoff caucus state for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.
Johnson placed third in the CPAC straw poll with 5 percent but has failed to register in national polling.
“You have a David and Goliath uphill battle, and I think you know that,” Cedar Rapids resident Chad Charkowski, 47, told Johnson during a brief Q&A with the candidate. “How are you going to shock the world and become president?”
Republican presidential hopeful Perry Johnson speaks at a Thursday campaign event at- the Lucky Penny Pub during his nine-day bus tour of Iowa, The Michigan businessman said he wants to put government “on a diet.” (Geoff Stellfox/The Gazette)
Johnson noted not many people took former President Donald Trump seriously in 2015, when he first ran for president, and many laughed off the campaign by the outspoken billionaire and TV personality.
Johnson referred to himself “Trump without the baggage,” a dig at his main rival in the 2024 GOP race for the White House.
On Iowa Politics
Newsletter Signup
“I don’t have a Stormy Daniels,” he said, referring to the adult film star who claims she had an affair with Trump and was paid by Trump's legal team to avoid going public with the story ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
“I’ve never had a company go bankrupt,” Johnson continued, adding Trump already lost to President Joe Biden once in 2020.
To win back the White House, Johnson said, Republicans need to “galvanize” the independent voters Trump has “alienated.”
He said he feels his plans to tame inflation, solve the nation’s debt crisis and make life affordable again will resonate with independent voters.
Republican presidential hopeful Perry Johnson speaks Thursday in Hiawatha as part of his nine-day tour of Iowa. (Geoff Stellfox/The Gazette)
Johnson, though, acknowledged his highest hurdle will be qualifying for the Republican presidential debates.
“If I get to the debate stage, I believe I’m going to win. I wouldn’t be in the race unless I thought I would,” he said. “Two months ago, nobody ever heard of me. But you go and ask them the name ID, I’m running around 75 to 80 percent name ID in Iowa. … And it’s very early on, to say the least. And at this stage in the game, nobody is going to have any idea who’s gonna win.”
Platform
Johnson ran for governor of Michigan last year but was disqualified with four other candidates due to invalid nominating petition signatures.
He made his money by promoting and implementing statistical controls and standardization in the automotive industry. He hopes to take the principles of quality control that he used in the automotive industry and apply them to the federal government to “get spending under control and tame our nation’s record inflation,” according to his campaign.
"I am pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, anti-woke, anti-China, and I am pro-freedom,“ he told the group of around 30 Iowans gathered for a meet-and-greet with the candidate at the Lucky Penny Pub in Hiawatha.
Johnson called for dismantling the U.S. Department of Education and said he would ban gender-affirming “transition therapy” for transgender youth — a popular proposal among Republican candidates. He also said he disagrees with U.S. financial support of Ukraine’s ongoing military defense against Russia’s invasion.
“I think it’s ridiculous to send $100 billion to Ukraine when we’re going broke,” Johnson said to applause.
He also voiced concerns over the rising costs of homes, college tuition and health care.
Johnson also called the construction of proposed carbon capture pipelines in Iowa “nutty.” He opposes the use of eminent domain for the private projects that, he said, will not significantly reduce carbon emissions.
Republican presidential hopeful Perry Johnson speaks at a meet-and-greet Thursday at the Lucky Penny Pub in Hiawatha. (Geoff Stellfox/The Gazette)
Johnson also criticized Vivek Ramaswamy, the 37-year-old biotech entrepreneur from Ohio who is also seeking the GOP presidential nomination, for his proposal to raise the voting age from 18 to 25, unless a person is in the military, a first responder or can pass the U.S. citizenship test.
Johnson said raising the voting age would disenfranchise young voters and undermine their rights as citizens.
“I think that’s the stupidest thing I ever heard,” Johnson said. “We have the younger people voting for Democrats, because the Republicans don’t cultivate that group. We have to do just the opposite. How in heaven’s name is that encouraging people to vote for you, if you tell them that if you get elected, they can’t vote anymore?”
Fiscal conservative
Charkowski, the Cedar Rapids resident, said he’s pleased to see a fiscal conservative like Johnson running.
“The amount of money the government is spending is and has been out of control for some time,” he said. “I think he’s going to bring the hammer on the federal government, if he makes it there.”
Charkowski said he has yet to decide which candidate he will support in the Republican caucuses, and that it was too early to tell what Johnson’s chances will be in the Iowa caucuses.
They key, he said, will be how effective Johnson is at getting his message out.
“His message resonates with everyone from less government, common-sense policies,” Charkowski said. “(He) absolutely has a chance, but would have to put a good message out. … And I do love his tagline. He’s Trump without the baggage. … That’s the piece that excited me about coming to hear him.”
Kevin Slaman, 71, of Marion, agreed.
“Perry is a strong personality. He’s fiscally responsible. That resonates with a lot of people,” Slaman said, adding it’s still too early to say who he will caucus for.
“It’s going to be a battle, though,” Slaman said. “He’s a guy who knows how to manage money, and that’s what’s so important for our country right now.”
Perry Johnson pitches himself as 'Trump without the baggage’ in Iowa visit
GOP presidential hopeful stops in Hiawatha as part of his ‘Fire Biden’ bus tour
www.thegazette.com
