House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., sparred with ABC’s “This Week” host Jon Karl on Sunday after Karl pushed back on Emmer’s claim that “communists” are on the midterm ballot.
The exchange started when Emmer acknowledged that Republicans need to address high gas prices ahead of 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 responded with a laugh, saying, “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 then conceded there were “some Democratic socialists” running and tried to move the conversation forward, but Emmer wasn’t finished.
“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 attempted again to change the subject, Emmer pressed on. “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 Takes Aim at Media Coverage
Earlier in the interview, Emmer accused mainstream outlets of covering inflation and gas prices differently depending on which party holds the White House.
“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 reached out to Emmer and ABC News for comment.
Prior Comments on Michigan Senate Race
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 Democratic Michigan 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 remarks come as dozens of Democratic Socialists of America-backed candidates run for office in this year’s midterm elections.
