MSNBC's Brian Williams suggests Sen. Ron Johnson is a 'witting or unwitting asset of Russia'

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MSNBC anchor Brian Williams baselessly suggested that Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., is a Russian asset over his views of the coronavirus vaccine. 

Johnson, who was diagnosed with the virus back in October, appeared on "Tucker Carlson Tonight" and expressed his own personal hesitancy to get the vaccine while also asserting that since he was already sick with the virus that he should now be immune. 

"People ought to respect other people's freedom and liberty and their ability to choose whether or not to get vaccinated or not," Johnson told Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Tuesday night. "I am concerned now about them trying to push it onto children who, let's face it, they're not in a position of informed consent. We do need to recognize that this isn't a fully approved vaccine."

Later that night, the "11th Hour" anchor played a clip of the exchange. 

"I know really smart, educated, substantial people who believe him to be a witting or an unwitting asset of Russia—who would sound a lot like that in American society," Williams reacted. 

Williams isn't the first MSNBC star to tie the Wisconsin senator to the Kremlin. 

Last August, "Deadline: White House" anchor Nicolle Wallace suggested Johnson was "in cahoots" with Russia since the senator had been outspoken about seeking answers on then-presidential candidate Joe Biden's business ties to the Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma as a report from National Counterintelligence and Security Center warned that Russia would use a "range of measures to primarily denigrate" the Democrat.

"Russia is actively working to quote 'denigrate' Joe Biden. My question for you is Ron Johnson, senator from Wisconsin, is actively working to denigrate Joe Biden. Are they in cahoots?" Wallace asked.