Dusty Johnson on Breaking Battlegrounds
South Dakota Rep. Dusty Johnson is one of Breaking Battlegrounds’ most frequent congressional guests. Over five appearances, he has talked with Chuck Warren and Sam Stone about China, trade, supply chains, the debt ceiling, and why America has lost its ability to build big things.
This page collects every Dusty Johnson interview on Breaking Battlegrounds, from his early appearances on the House China Select Committee to his 2026 run for governor.
Who Is Dusty Johnson?
Dusty Johnson has represented South Dakota’s at-large district in the U.S. House since 2019. He grew up in a large working-class family in central South Dakota and holds degrees from the University of South Dakota and the University of Kansas. He lives in Mitchell with his wife and three sons.
Before Congress, he was elected statewide to the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission in 2004. In 2010, Gov. Dennis Daugaard asked him to serve as chief of staff, effectively the chief operating officer for much of state government. He later worked as a vice president at Vantage Point Solutions, a rural telecommunications engineering firm.
In Congress, he has served on the Agriculture Committee, where he chaired the Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development Subcommittee; the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee; and the Select Committee on China. In his third term he was chosen to lead the Main Street Caucus, a business-friendly, center-right group.
In 2026, Johnson ran for governor of South Dakota. He led several early polls but finished third in the June 2 Republican primary with 23%, behind businessman Toby Doeden and Gov. Larry Rhoden. He will leave Congress in January 2027 and has said he will keep working to build a better South Dakota.
Dusty Johnson's Appearances on Breaking Battlegrounds
Podcast 320: Washington Dysfunction, the Farm Bill, and Beef Prices (August 2026)
Johnson joined Sam Stone to break down Washington dysfunction, the Farm Bill, and why beef prices remain high. He also covered President Trump and Canada, affordability, legal immigration, nuclear power, and permitting reform, warning that America is falling behind other countries in building major infrastructure.
Podcast 304: U.S.-China Trade and His Run for Governor (May 2026)
Johnson discussed U.S.-China trade, rare earth minerals, energy policy, gas prices, South Dakota agriculture, data centers, and his campaign for governor. The same episode features Noah Rothman on his book Blood and Progress.
Podcast 175: China, Border Security, and Economic Policy (January 2024)
In a bonus episode with Chuck Warren, Johnson discussed the challenge of reaching bipartisan agreements in a polarized climate, the need for fiscal responsibility, the border crisis, Chinese investment in the United States, and how inflation is hitting everyday Americans.
Podcast 141: China's Strategy and America's Global Leadership (June 2023)
Speaking as a member of the Select Committee on China, Johnson warned about China’s reported eavesdropping facility in Cuba and its push for influence in Latin America and the developing world. “They have a strategy. I’m not sure our country does,” he said. He argued that “America first can’t mean America only,” and made the case for permitting reform after the Fiscal Responsibility Act and for his Ocean Shipping Reform Act, which became law in 2022.
Podcast 120: The Debt Ceiling (January 2023)
Johnson joined Chuck and Sam in the studio during the 2023 debt ceiling fight. Henry Olsen opened the episode with his own analysis of the standoff.
What Dusty Johnson Argues: Key Themes
- China is a long-term strategic threat. He describes China’s influence in Latin America, Africa, and the Pacific as a deliberate strategy the U.S. has not matched.
- Build again. He argues that permitting delays have left America unable to finish big projects that other countries complete in a fraction of the time.
- Free trade and supply chains. He backs trade agreements as a source of American prosperity and wrote the Ocean Shipping Reform Act to protect U.S. exporters.
- Bipartisan problem-solving. As Main Street Caucus chair, he has positioned himself as a pragmatic, center-right bridge builder.
Related Episodes and Explainers
Follow Dusty Johnson
- X: @RepDustyJohnson
- Background: Dusty Johnson on Wikipedia
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Dusty Johnson?
South Dakota’s at-large U.S. representative since 2019 and a former chief of staff to Gov. Dennis Daugaard.
Did Dusty Johnson win the 2026 governor primary?
No. He finished third in the June 2, 2026 Republican primary, behind Toby Doeden and Gov. Larry Rhoden.
When does Dusty Johnson leave Congress?
In January 2027, at the end of his current term.
What has Dusty Johnson said about China on Breaking Battlegrounds?
That China has a long-term strategy to displace American leadership and the U.S. lacks one of its own (Podcast 141).
