House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., sparred with ABC “This Week” host Jon Karl on Sunday after Karl challenged him for describing Democratic candidates as communists ahead of the midterm elections.
The exchange began when Emmer acknowledged that Republicans need to address high gas and diesel prices before the midterms. “I would say this on that, $4 gas, $6 diesel, entirely unacceptable,” Emmer said. “We Republicans agree on that. But it’s not enough to vote for communists.”
Karl pushed back, laughing as he responded, “I think most Democrats would say they’re not communists. So, there aren’t a lot of communists on the ballot in these midterms.”
“Well you’re wrong, they are communists,” Emmer interrupted.
Karl conceded there were “some Democratic socialists” running and tried to move the conversation forward, but Emmer wouldn’t let the point go.
“Jon, you just called them what they want you to call them. There’s nothing Democratic about socialism. For 100 years, they wanted us to call them progressives, when, in fact, they were socialists. And it wasn’t cool to admit you’re a socialist. They are now communists and Marxists. Take a look at the [Democratic Socialists of America] platform,” Emmer said.
When Karl again attempted to change the subject, Emmer continued laying out his case. “They want to defund the police. They want to defund prisons. They want government-only health care. And they want the Green New Deal, which will cost every American family another $355,000. That’s what we should be talking about,” he said.
Emmer Also Criticizes Inflation Coverage
Earlier in the interview, Emmer argued that journalists have covered gas prices and inflation differently under President Donald Trump than they did under former President Joe Biden.
“I hate to point the finger at you and the other journalists, but have you reported that under Joe Biden, the average was over $5 a gallon? Under Donald Trump, he’s pulled it all the way back, even with the action that had to be taken to make sure that Iran never has a nuclear weapon. It’s closer to $4. It’s about 13 percent below what Joe Biden had. Grocery inflation. Under Biden, it was 13-point-something. Under Donald Trump, it’s two percent. It’s 11 points better. But you guys don’t report this stuff. So, I’m not saying the American people don’t get it. They don’t get the truth from the people that are reporting it,” Emmer said.
Fox News Digital said it reached out to both Emmer’s office and ABC News for comment.
Earlier Remarks Targeted Michigan Candidate
Emmer made similar remarks in an interview with Fox News Digital last week, accusing the far-left wing of the Democratic Party of being “communists, Marxists and anarchists.” He singled out Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who has denied being a socialist.
“This guy says ridiculous things like U.S. NFL football is an example of toxic masculinity, he supports a terrorist who believes that America deserved to lose 3,000 people on 9/11, and he’s got this Piker guy who’s just shooting his mouth off on everything anti-American,” Emmer said. “These people are anti-American more than anything else.”
Emmer’s comments come as dozens of candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America run for office in this year’s midterm elections.
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