Tom Emmer disputes 'communist' label for Democrats in ABC interview

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer engaged in a heated exchange with ABC ‘This Week’ host Jon Karl regarding the political labels applied to Democratic candidates ahead of the midterm elections. During the interview, Emmer rejected Karl’s assertion that there are not many communists on the ballot, insisting that Democratic socialists are actually “communists and Marxists.”

Emmer cited the Democratic Socialists of America platform as evidence, specifically pointing to policy goals such as defunding the police and prisons, implementing government-only healthcare, and the Green New Deal. He argued that these positions represent a shift from previous labels like “progressives” to more radical ideologies.

Karl attempted to steer the conversation toward other topics after acknowledging the presence of some Democratic socialists on the ballot, but Emmer continued to press his point regarding the terminology and the economic implications of such policies.