Emmer, Karl Clash Over Labeling Democrats 'Communists' on ABC's 'This Week'

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer engaged in a heated exchange with ABC's "This Week" host Jon Karl on Sunday, asserting that there are "communists" on the midterm election ballots, a claim Karl pushed back against.

The disagreement arose after Emmer linked Republican efforts to lower gas prices to the broader election context, stating, "But it’s not enough to vote for communists." When Karl countered that most Democrats would not identify as communists and that "there aren’t a lot of communists on the ballot," Emmer interrupted, "Well you’re wrong, they are communists."

Karl acknowledged the presence of "some Democratic socialists" but attempted to shift the topic. Emmer rejected this distinction, arguing, "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 elaborated on his concerns, citing policy positions such as defunding the police and prisons, advocating for government-only healthcare, and supporting the Green New Deal, which he claimed would cost American families hundreds of thousands of dollars. He argued that these were the issues that should be debated.

Earlier in the interview, Emmer criticized mainstream media coverage of inflation and gas prices, contrasting reporting during the Trump and Biden administrations. He contended that reporting on gas prices and grocery inflation under Biden has been less critical than when Trump was in office, suggesting a lack of truth from journalists.

Emmer reiterated similar sentiments in a previous interview with Fox News Digital, accusing the progressive wing of the Democratic Party of being "communists, Marxists and anarchists." He specifically referenced Democratic Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, despite El-Sayed's denials of being a socialist, and criticized statements and associations made by candidates.

Emmer's comments come as numerous candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America are running in the midterm elections.