WEBVTT 00:02.266 --> 00:04.866 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: Representative Tom Emmer chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee. 00:04.866 --> 00:09.866 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% He's responsible for the GOP's efforts to win back control of the House this November. 00:11.033 --> 00:13.233 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% And he joins us now from Minneapolis. 00:13.233 --> 00:15.466 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% Congressman Emmer, thank you so much for being here. 00:15.466 --> 00:20.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So, tell us, what did you think? What did your constituents think of last night's opening 00:20.333 --> 00:21.833 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% night at the convention? 00:21.833 --> 00:24.033 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% REP. TOM EMMER (R-MN): I thought it was impressive. 00:24.033 --> 00:29.033 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% After last week, Judy, where the Democrats came out and literally embraced Bernie Sanders' 00:31.400 --> 00:35.833 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% radical left-wing socialist agenda, and then showed their unhinged hatred for this president, 00:37.866 --> 00:41.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% I think what Republicans did last night on the first night of the convention is show 00:41.733 --> 00:43.666 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% everything that's good about America. 00:43.666 --> 00:47.300 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And I'm looking forward to more of that as the convention continues tonight. 00:47.300 --> 00:52.266 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, I think Joe Biden would dispute that he embraced anything like socialism, 00:53.633 --> 00:55.933 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% but that's a conversation for another time. 00:55.933 --> 01:00.900 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Let me ask you about your job as chair of the NRCC. You have the very responsible position 01:03.033 --> 01:08.033 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% of trying to get as many Republicans as possible elected to Congress. 01:09.933 --> 01:13.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Two respected analysts, The Cook Political Report and Inside Elections, are saying that 01:15.900 --> 01:19.700 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% the Democrats are not only in a position to hold on to their majority, but maybe to enlarge 01:20.466 --> 01:21.966 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% it. 01:21.966 --> 01:24.000 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% REP. TOM EMMER: Yes, actually, I would disagree with that. 01:24.000 --> 01:28.100 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% I think we have the most diverse slate of candidates in the history of the Republican 01:28.100 --> 01:33.100 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Party that are running for the U.S. House of Representatives this year. They are going 01:35.133 --> 01:37.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% to -- they have the message, and they're going to have the resources that are necessary. 01:37.133 --> 01:41.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Look, if you look at the special elections, I think people like Karl Rove would tell you 01:41.733 --> 01:46.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% one of the reasons the House flipped in 2004 was because of the momentum that Republicans 01:46.433 --> 01:48.700 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% picked up with their special election victories. 01:48.700 --> 01:53.666 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% We are now 6-0 in special elections during this cycle. Right now, we have 43 Democrats 01:55.666 --> 01:59.600 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% sitting in seats that are better positioned for Republicans. And we only need 17 to retake 01:59.600 --> 02:01.700 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% the majority. 02:01.700 --> 02:03.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: So, you are forecasting Republicans will take back the majority? 02:03.333 --> 02:05.466 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% REP. TOM EMMER: Yes, absolutely. 02:05.466 --> 02:08.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% I think Donald Trump is going to get reelected. Donald Trump has a good night, we're going 02:08.933 --> 02:11.033 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% to have a great night. 02:11.033 --> 02:13.400 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% JUDY WOODRUFF: Let me ask you about something that the Republican Congressional Committee 02:13.400 --> 02:15.466 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% has issued. 02:15.466 --> 02:19.833 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% You have made statements referring to Democratic Congressman Max Rose of New York state as 02:19.833 --> 02:24.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% little Max. Now, this is someone who served in Afghanistan. He was -- led an Army platoon, 02:26.033 --> 02:27.866 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% wounded in combat, got a Bronze Star. 02:27.866 --> 02:30.133 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% Is that an appropriate label for him? 02:30.133 --> 02:34.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% REP. TOM EMMER: Actually, what the National Republican Congressional Committee does is, 02:34.533 --> 02:39.500 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% we're that campaign arm, much like the DCCC on the other side, in the House. 02:39.500 --> 02:43.566 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Our job is to make sure that we compare and contrast these candidates. And what we have 02:43.566 --> 02:48.566 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% done, Judy, is, we have made it very clear that these Democrats ran in the fall of 2018 02:50.633 --> 02:54.366 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% as moderates. And they have come to Washington, D.C., and been just the opposite. 02:54.366 --> 02:59.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% They're now going to have to run on that record. I'll tell you, you said that Joe Biden hasn't 03:01.900 --> 03:04.466 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% embraced Bernie Sanders' socialist agenda. But these folks have been voting for tax increases, 03:07.000 --> 03:10.066 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% incredible tax increases, amnesty and socialist proposals, like the Green New Deal and Medicare 03:12.266 --> 03:14.266 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% for all. 03:14.266 --> 03:17.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% This is why Republicans are going to win a majority in the House in 70 days. 03:17.533 --> 03:22.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, Joe Biden has not embraced those things, neither the Green New Deal, 03:23.266 --> 03:25.766 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% nor Medicare for all. 03:25.766 --> 03:29.800 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% But just quickly, though, Congressman Emmer, let me ask you about the number of Republicans 03:31.833 --> 03:34.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% running for Congress this year who have endorsed the so-called QAnon conspiracy theories, among 03:36.633 --> 03:39.200 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% them, Marjorie Taylor Greene in Georgia. 03:39.200 --> 03:44.033 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% She has said that Nancy Pelosi committed treason, should be executed. She said that Holocaust 03:45.400 --> 03:47.600 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% survivor George Soros collaborated with the Nazis. 03:47.600 --> 03:52.300 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% Is -- are these -- is she a candidate that the NRCC is supporting? 03:52.300 --> 03:57.300 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% REP. TOM EMMER: So, we -- we put out our list of targeted races 18 months ago, Judy. There 03:58.600 --> 04:01.600 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% are 55 targeted races that we're looking at. 04:01.600 --> 04:06.600 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% The top 30, Donald Trump won in 2016. The top 13, he won by six points or more, and 04:09.100 --> 04:12.600 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% several of them by double digits. Those are the races that we need to take back the majority. 04:14.666 --> 04:17.733 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% I -- and I would say, I understand that people would like to say that this is my grandfather's 04:19.733 --> 04:24.200 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Joe Biden. But when Barack Obama says himself that, essentially, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders 04:26.133 --> 04:30.100 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% are the same, which he just did within the last week, I would beg to disagree with you. 04:30.100 --> 04:34.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And I think the American public is going to know. The choice is very clear in November. 04:34.233 --> 04:38.100 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% It's between freedom and socialism. And this is why the Republicans are going to win back 04:38.100 --> 04:39.533 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% the House. 04:39.533 --> 04:41.600 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: And what about Marjorie Taylor Greene? 04:41.600 --> 04:45.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% REP. TOM EMMER: Again, we don't support any hate-driven conspiracy theories, no matter 04:47.466 --> 04:49.533 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% what the organization is. 04:49.533 --> 04:54.300 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And the -- the candidates that we're focused on are in the 55 targeted districts that actually 04:55.533 --> 04:58.733 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% will swing the House to Republicans in 70 days. 04:58.733 --> 05:02.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: Congressman Tom Emmer, we thank you very much. Appreciate it. 05:02.733 --> 05:02.866 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% REP. TOM EMMER: Thank you, Judy.