WAUKESHA - As Democrats in Washington continued to push an impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump Wednesday, Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson stepped to the podium at a meeting of the Pewaukee Chamber of Commerce.

For 45 minutes, Johnson spoke and took 10 questions from the organization's members, hopscotching across a range of issues, including taxes, health care, trade, student debt and infrastructure.

Not a single person mentioned the word impeachment.

And Johnson said that wasn't unusual.

Other than being questioned about impeachment by the news media, and a random person who came up to him during a coffee, Johnson said the subject hasn't been broached since he returned to Wisconsin during the congressional recess.

"We'll see how this all plays out," Johnson said. "I mean, personally, I think it's unfortunate."

Asked if Trump would be impeached, Johnson said the House is "certainly going down that path but until they take a vote the House isn't serious about this."

The House hasn't taken a formal vote to open an impeachment inquiry although House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has initiated proceedings.

Asked if he saw his role as defending the president, Johnson said: "No. I see my role is to get the American people the truth, which is what I've continued to try and do. ... If something happened in Ukraine, we deserve to know that."

Johnson said, "Democrats and most of the media are putting the worst possible construction" on the president's phone call to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.

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Johnson has said he did not believe that military aid to Ukraine was withheld by the president to pressure that country to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden.

Johnson has met face-to-face with Zelensky and said, "At no point in time did Zelensky ever mention any case that he's feeling pressure."

As chair of the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Johnson has a fairly powerful position on which to weigh in.

This week, Johnson and U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa sent a letter to Attorney General William Barr asking Barr to investigate any ties between Hillary Clinton's campaign and Ukraine during the 2016 presidential race.

Johnson has long focused on the probe of Clinton's emails while she was U.S. secretary of state.

During his talk with the Pewaukee chamber, Johnson praised many of Trump's economic policies and urged people to "pressure Nancy Pelosi to quit playing politics" and pass a new trade deal between the United States, Canada and Mexico.

He said 2020 will be a "seminal election in this nation's history."

"I can't believe what the Democratic presidential candidates are talking about," he added. "I hope America won't buy it."

He also took a swipe at Democratic presidential contender U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.

"Have you ever heard her talk positively about business?" he said. "That's the attitude. You are evil."