JUDY WOODRUFF: Representative
Tom Emmer chairs the
National Republican
Congressional Committee.
He's responsible for the GOP's
efforts to win back control
of the House this November.
And he joins us now
from Minneapolis.
Congressman Emmer, thank
you so much for being here.
So, tell us, what did you think?
What did your constituents
think of last night's opening
night at the convention?
REP. TOM EMMER (R-MN): I
thought it was impressive.
After last week, Judy,
where the Democrats
came out and literally
embraced Bernie Sanders'
radical left-wing socialist
agenda, and then showed
their unhinged hatred
for this president,
I think what Republicans did
last night on the first night
of the convention is show
everything that's
good about America.
And I'm looking forward
to more of that as the
convention continues tonight.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, I
think Joe Biden would
dispute that he embraced
anything like socialism,
but that's a conversation
for another time.
Let me ask you about your job
as chair of the NRCC. You have
the very responsible position
of trying to get as many
Republicans as possible
elected to Congress.
Two respected analysts, The
Cook Political Report and Inside
Elections, are saying that
the Democrats are not only in
a position to hold on to their
majority, but maybe to enlarge
it.
REP. TOM EMMER: Yes, actually,
I would disagree with that.
I think we have the most
diverse slate of candidates in
the history of the Republican
Party that are running for the
U.S. House of Representatives
this year. They are going
to -- they have the message,
and they're going to have the
resources that are necessary.
Look, if you look at the special
elections, I think people
like Karl Rove would tell you
one of the reasons the House
flipped in 2004 was because of
the momentum that Republicans
picked up with their
special election victories.
We are now 6-0 in special
elections during this cycle.
Right now, we have 43 Democrats
sitting in seats that are better
positioned for Republicans.
And we only need 17 to retake
the majority.
JUDY WOODRUFF: So, you are
forecasting Republicans
will take back the majority?
REP. TOM EMMER: Yes, absolutely.
I think Donald Trump is going
to get reelected. Donald Trump
has a good night, we're going
to have a great night.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Let me
ask you about something
that the Republican
Congressional Committee
has issued.
You have made statements
referring to Democratic
Congressman Max Rose
of New York state as
little Max. Now, this is someone
who served in Afghanistan. He
was -- led an Army platoon,
wounded in combat,
got a Bronze Star.
Is that an appropriate
label for him?
REP. TOM EMMER: Actually,
what the National Republican
Congressional Committee does is,
we're that campaign arm,
much like the DCCC on the
other side, in the House.
Our job is to make sure that
we compare and contrast these
candidates. And what we have
done, Judy, is, we have
made it very clear that
these Democrats ran
in the fall of 2018
as moderates. And they have
come to Washington, D.C.,
and been just the opposite.
They're now going to have to run
on that record. I'll tell you,
you said that Joe Biden hasn't
embraced Bernie Sanders'
socialist agenda. But
these folks have been
voting for tax increases,
incredible tax increases,
amnesty and socialist
proposals, like the Green
New Deal and Medicare
for all.
This is why Republicans
are going to win a majority
in the House in 70 days.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, Joe Biden
has not embraced those things,
neither the Green New Deal,
nor Medicare for all.
But just quickly, though,
Congressman Emmer, let
me ask you about the
number of Republicans
running for Congress this year
who have endorsed the so-called
QAnon conspiracy theories, among
them, Marjorie Taylor
Greene in Georgia.
She has said that Nancy
Pelosi committed treason,
should be executed.
She said that Holocaust
survivor George Soros
collaborated with the Nazis.
Is -- are these -- is
she a candidate that
the NRCC is supporting?
REP. TOM EMMER: So, we -- we
put out our list of targeted
races 18 months ago, Judy. There
are 55 targeted races
that we're looking at.
The top 30, Donald Trump won
in 2016. The top 13, he won
by six points or more, and
several of them by double
digits. Those are the
races that we need to
take back the majority.
I -- and I would say, I
understand that people
would like to say that
this is my grandfather's
Joe Biden. But when Barack Obama
says himself that, essentially,
Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders
are the same, which he just
did within the last week, I
would beg to disagree with you.
And I think the American public
is going to know. The choice
is very clear in November.
It's between freedom
and socialism. And this
is why the Republicans
are going to win back
the House.
JUDY WOODRUFF: And what
about Marjorie Taylor Greene?
REP. TOM EMMER: Again, we
don't support any hate-driven
conspiracy theories, no matter
what the organization is.
And the -- the candidates that
we're focused on are in the 55
targeted districts that actually
will swing the House to
Republicans in 70 days.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Congressman
Tom Emmer, we thank you
very much. Appreciate it.
REP. TOM EMMER: Thank you, Judy.