While Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) admitted footage of crowded bars in Wisconsin "concern, probably, all of us," he also said he understood the patrons' desire to relieve some of their frustrations after being "pent up" for quite some time because of the coronavirus pandemic.
In Johnson's view, they were "celebrating a little freedom" as the state rolls back its lockdown measures.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) was a little less forgiving, telling CNN's Jake Tapper that he was "absolutely" concerned by crowded bars filled with mask-less customers in Columbus. DeWine said he has discussed steps to handle similar situations in the future if they keep occurring.
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DeWine and Johnson both seemed to agree, however, that their respective state populations were, by and large, still taking social distancing guidelines seriously. Johnson said that despite the images shown on CNN, such behavior wasn't representative of the state as a whole.
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