1 00:00:02,266 --> 00:00:04,866 JUDY WOODRUFF: Representative Tom Emmer chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee. 2 00:00:04,866 --> 00:00:09,866 He's responsible for the GOP's efforts to win back control of the House this November. 3 00:00:11,033 --> 00:00:13,233 And he joins us now from Minneapolis. 4 00:00:13,233 --> 00:00:15,466 Congressman Emmer, thank you so much for being here. 5 00:00:15,466 --> 00:00:20,333 So, tell us, what did you think? What did your constituents think of last night's opening 6 00:00:20,333 --> 00:00:21,833 night at the convention? 7 00:00:21,833 --> 00:00:24,033 REP. TOM EMMER (R-MN): I thought it was impressive. 8 00:00:24,033 --> 00:00:29,033 After last week, Judy, where the Democrats came out and literally embraced Bernie Sanders' 9 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:35,833 radical left-wing socialist agenda, and then showed their unhinged hatred for this president, 10 00:00:37,866 --> 00:00:41,733 I think what Republicans did last night on the first night of the convention is show 11 00:00:41,733 --> 00:00:43,666 everything that's good about America. 12 00:00:43,666 --> 00:00:47,300 And I'm looking forward to more of that as the convention continues tonight. 13 00:00:47,300 --> 00:00:52,266 JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, I think Joe Biden would dispute that he embraced anything like socialism, 14 00:00:53,633 --> 00:00:55,933 but that's a conversation for another time. 15 00:00:55,933 --> 00:01:00,900 Let me ask you about your job as chair of the NRCC. You have the very responsible position 16 00:01:03,033 --> 00:01:08,033 of trying to get as many Republicans as possible elected to Congress. 17 00:01:09,933 --> 00:01:13,833 Two respected analysts, The Cook Political Report and Inside Elections, are saying that 18 00:01:15,900 --> 00:01:19,700 the Democrats are not only in a position to hold on to their majority, but maybe to enlarge 19 00:01:20,466 --> 00:01:21,966 it. 20 00:01:21,966 --> 00:01:24,000 REP. TOM EMMER: Yes, actually, I would disagree with that. 21 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:28,100 I think we have the most diverse slate of candidates in the history of the Republican 22 00:01:28,100 --> 00:01:33,100 Party that are running for the U.S. House of Representatives this year. They are going 23 00:01:35,133 --> 00:01:37,133 to -- they have the message, and they're going to have the resources that are necessary. 24 00:01:37,133 --> 00:01:41,733 Look, if you look at the special elections, I think people like Karl Rove would tell you 25 00:01:41,733 --> 00:01:46,433 one of the reasons the House flipped in 2004 was because of the momentum that Republicans 26 00:01:46,433 --> 00:01:48,700 picked up with their special election victories. 27 00:01:48,700 --> 00:01:53,666 We are now 6-0 in special elections during this cycle. Right now, we have 43 Democrats 28 00:01:55,666 --> 00:01:59,600 sitting in seats that are better positioned for Republicans. And we only need 17 to retake 29 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:01,700 the majority. 30 00:02:01,700 --> 00:02:03,333 JUDY WOODRUFF: So, you are forecasting Republicans will take back the majority? 31 00:02:03,333 --> 00:02:05,466 REP. TOM EMMER: Yes, absolutely. 32 00:02:05,466 --> 00:02:08,933 I think Donald Trump is going to get reelected. Donald Trump has a good night, we're going 33 00:02:08,933 --> 00:02:11,033 to have a great night. 34 00:02:11,033 --> 00:02:13,400 JUDY WOODRUFF: Let me ask you about something that the Republican Congressional Committee 35 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:15,466 has issued. 36 00:02:15,466 --> 00:02:19,833 You have made statements referring to Democratic Congressman Max Rose of New York state as 37 00:02:19,833 --> 00:02:24,833 little Max. Now, this is someone who served in Afghanistan. He was -- led an Army platoon, 38 00:02:26,033 --> 00:02:27,866 wounded in combat, got a Bronze Star. 39 00:02:27,866 --> 00:02:30,133 Is that an appropriate label for him? 40 00:02:30,133 --> 00:02:34,533 REP. TOM EMMER: Actually, what the National Republican Congressional Committee does is, 41 00:02:34,533 --> 00:02:39,500 we're that campaign arm, much like the DCCC on the other side, in the House. 42 00:02:39,500 --> 00:02:43,566 Our job is to make sure that we compare and contrast these candidates. And what we have 43 00:02:43,566 --> 00:02:48,566 done, Judy, is, we have made it very clear that these Democrats ran in the fall of 2018 44 00:02:50,633 --> 00:02:54,366 as moderates. And they have come to Washington, D.C., and been just the opposite. 45 00:02:54,366 --> 00:02:59,333 They're now going to have to run on that record. I'll tell you, you said that Joe Biden hasn't 46 00:03:01,900 --> 00:03:04,466 embraced Bernie Sanders' socialist agenda. But these folks have been voting for tax increases, 47 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:10,066 incredible tax increases, amnesty and socialist proposals, like the Green New Deal and Medicare 48 00:03:12,266 --> 00:03:14,266 for all. 49 00:03:14,266 --> 00:03:17,533 This is why Republicans are going to win a majority in the House in 70 days. 50 00:03:17,533 --> 00:03:22,533 JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, Joe Biden has not embraced those things, neither the Green New Deal, 51 00:03:23,266 --> 00:03:25,766 nor Medicare for all. 52 00:03:25,766 --> 00:03:29,800 But just quickly, though, Congressman Emmer, let me ask you about the number of Republicans 53 00:03:31,833 --> 00:03:34,833 running for Congress this year who have endorsed the so-called QAnon conspiracy theories, among 54 00:03:36,633 --> 00:03:39,200 them, Marjorie Taylor Greene in Georgia. 55 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:44,033 She has said that Nancy Pelosi committed treason, should be executed. She said that Holocaust 56 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:47,600 survivor George Soros collaborated with the Nazis. 57 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:52,300 Is -- are these -- is she a candidate that the NRCC is supporting? 58 00:03:52,300 --> 00:03:57,300 REP. TOM EMMER: So, we -- we put out our list of targeted races 18 months ago, Judy. There 59 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:01,600 are 55 targeted races that we're looking at. 60 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:06,600 The top 30, Donald Trump won in 2016. The top 13, he won by six points or more, and 61 00:04:09,100 --> 00:04:12,600 several of them by double digits. Those are the races that we need to take back the majority. 62 00:04:14,666 --> 00:04:17,733 I -- and I would say, I understand that people would like to say that this is my grandfather's 63 00:04:19,733 --> 00:04:24,200 Joe Biden. But when Barack Obama says himself that, essentially, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders 64 00:04:26,133 --> 00:04:30,100 are the same, which he just did within the last week, I would beg to disagree with you. 65 00:04:30,100 --> 00:04:34,233 And I think the American public is going to know. The choice is very clear in November. 66 00:04:34,233 --> 00:04:38,100 It's between freedom and socialism. And this is why the Republicans are going to win back 67 00:04:38,100 --> 00:04:39,533 the House. 68 00:04:39,533 --> 00:04:41,600 JUDY WOODRUFF: And what about Marjorie Taylor Greene? 69 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:45,333 REP. TOM EMMER: Again, we don't support any hate-driven conspiracy theories, no matter 70 00:04:47,466 --> 00:04:49,533 what the organization is. 71 00:04:49,533 --> 00:04:54,300 And the -- the candidates that we're focused on are in the 55 targeted districts that actually 72 00:04:55,533 --> 00:04:58,733 will swing the House to Republicans in 70 days. 73 00:04:58,733 --> 00:05:02,733 JUDY WOODRUFF: Congressman Tom Emmer, we thank you very much. Appreciate it. 74 00:05:02,733 --> 00:05:02,866 REP. TOM EMMER: Thank you, Judy.