Which statement best describes the political issues between President Johnson and the Radical Republicans? The Radical Republicans fought with President Johnson against punishing the Southern states for the Civil War. President Johnson wanted to expand equal rights to slaves in the South, contrary to the goals of the Radical Republicans. The Radical Republicans feared that the Southern states were not making enough changes, but President Johnson was allowing them to return to the Union anyway. There was no issue between the Radical Republicans and President Johnson.