Who Is Charles Johnson
Charles Johnson has previously held close ties to the Republican party. In 2018, he was invited by Matt Gaetz to the State of the Union speech before being decried as a far-right, white supremacist Holocaust denier.
Source: @JohnsonThought1/X
After the dinner, Matt Brooks, the executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, said that he did not appreciate Johnson’s views on the Holocaust being represented at the event. Gaetz would later try and distance himself from the far-right extremist and cut all social ties.
How Did Johnson Get So Close to the Party?
Johnson has been an outspoken member of fringe groups on the internet since 2013. He described himself as an “investigative journalist” and has been tied to creating several fake news stories over the years.
Source: @JohnsonThought1/X
During the Trump administration, he worked with a Silicon Valley financier to back the campaign, which likely got him closer to Trump’s inner circle. He has also been labeled as a federal informant for the U.S. Government, but unknown in what capacity.
Johnson's Communication With Vance
Johnson claims that he has worked as a sort of mentor to fellow Silicon Valley alumnus Vance.
Source: Ralph Branson/Wikimedia
He alleges that just a few days after Vance was first elected as the Senator of Ohio he needed to “keep [him] out of trouble.”
Encrypted Messaging App
The far-right extremist claims to have been communicating with the Ohio Senator through an encrypted messaging app called Signal.
Source: Marjan Grabowski/Unsplash
The Signal app worked by sending voice, text, picture, and video messages that can only be read with a special encryption key.
Vance Denies the Connection
After the story broke that Johnson was mentoring Vance and sending him warning signals, Vance’s newly appointed Vice Presidential campaign team swooped in to discredit the rumors.
Source: Gage Skimore/Wikimedia
“JD usually ignored him, but occasionally responded to push back against things he said,” Vance spokesperson William Martin told the Post.
Messages Show Communication Is Legit
Although he denies the connection to Johnson, the messages on the Signal app show that the two corresponded regularly. Vance often gave Johnson crucial inside information and opinions on legislative affairs.
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When Republicans blocked a foreign aid package in 2023 to assist with the fighting operations in Ukraine, Vance allegedly sent a message to Johnson saying, “Dude I won’t even take calls from Ukraine. Two very senior guys reached out to me. The head of their intel. The head of the Air Force. B—ing about F16s.”
Cryptic Communication
The two have had a string of dialogue, ranging from clear-cut exchanges to more cryptic messages. It’s hard to know if Vance wanted to be open with Johnson or meant to keep him at arm’s length for some reason.
Source: @WUTangKids/X
In June of this year, Johnson sent a text congratulating Vance on being on the short list of Trump’s running mates: “Congratulations. Good luck.” A few days later, the Ohio Senator replied: “For what? You assume too much.”
The Warning
Following the congratulations message, Johnson reached out again with an ominous warning: “Don’t take it when it’s offered. It’s a trap.”
Source: Hack Capital/Unsplash
Vance responded in a non-coherent manner, which signified that he didn’t take much credence to the message. “Haha. Doubt it’s offered. We’ll see,” he quickly messaged back.
What Do Vance and Johnson Have in Common?
Aside from some overlapping political views, Johnson and Vance come from the same Silicon Valley tech and investment world. They have also both worked with far-right billionaire tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel.
Source: @parismarx/X
Thiel was one of the main donors to Vance’s 2022 Senate campaign that used up a whopping $15 million achieved through a super PAC. Thiel and Johnson worked together on a lawsuit against the now-defunct online publication Gawker, which accused Johnson of defecating on a floor in college.
Is Vance Being Set up By Trump?
It’s no secret that Trump’s previous Vice President, Mike Pence, has fallen out of favor with both him and the MAGA fan base. Removing himself from Pence gave Trump a fall guy to blame in the event that any past policies became unpopular with his voting base.
Source: Dalton Caraway/Unsplash
Several political commentators online have noted that Vance is already polling at -6 in the presidential race and seems to be unpopular with voters. It’s currently unknown how or why Trump might use Vance as a landing pad on his way down.
Johnson's History as a Federal Informant
Johnson has previously been outed as federal information for several years.
Source: @RTeapot/X
It’s unknown what insider information the Holocaust denier might have in his back pocket or if his messages to Vance are another one of his fueds or attempts to get in the public eye.