House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) is urging Republicans to harness what he describes as surging grassroots energy, warning that both the future of the House majority and the countrys foundational freedoms hinge on turnout this November.
Speaking with Breitbart News Washington Bureau Chief Matthew Boyle on Breitbart News after the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, Emmer framed the coming election as a stark ideological clash and a test of whether conservatives can overcome media hostility, Democrat radicalism, and complacency among right-leaning voters.
According to Breitbart, Emmer used the conversation to outline the GOPs strategy for retaining control of the House, to highlight what he views as the Trump administrations economic successes, and to reflect on the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks as a reminder of the stakes for Americas future.
Emmer said the Dallas gathering underscored the intensity on the right as the campaign enters its final stretch.
The midterm convention, this brainchild of Donald J. Trump, was to show what kind of energy is out there on the Republican side, and there is a ton of energy, Emmer said, describing a party base he believes is more motivated than the political class and legacy media are willing to admit.
He argued that the establishment press is deliberately downplaying the strength of the economy under Trump and the quality of recent job growth.
According to Emmer, the media doesnt want to talk about any of the good stuff thats happening in the economy or the latest jobs report, which he said included high-paying, benefit-providing, high-tech jobs and manufacturing positions that contradict the lefts narrative of economic decline.
Turning to the convention itself, Emmer emphasized the scale of the turnout in Dallas as evidence of a movement that is not only intact but expanding.
He said the arena was absolutely packed and recalled being told there was as big a crowd outside of the American Airlines Arena in Dallas as there was at the RNC in Milwaukee, a comparison meant to signal that Trump-era enthusiasm has not faded.
For Emmer, the event was not merely a rally but a strategic mobilization effort designed to remind voters what Republicans see as the administrations achievements and to drive them to the polls.
Quite frankly, communism is on the ballot, he said, adding that Trump was encouraging Republicans to vote because its all going to be about turnout, a message that reflects conservative fears about the lefts growing embrace of socialist ideas.
When Boyle asked him to spell out the GOPs path to holding the House, Emmer cautioned against the political classs overreliance on polling.
You cant rely on polls. You look for trends in polls, he said, suggesting that while surveys can indicate direction, they are no substitute for organization, message discipline, and voter contact.
Emmer insisted that the fundamentals of the election are straightforward for Republicans who are willing to do the work.
For us, the mechanics of this election are very clear, Emmer continued. We have to have Republican turnout to be successful.
He stressed that the first priority is defending the seats the party already controls, a basic but often overlooked principle in congressional warfare.
The cheapest seat to win is the one you already hold, he said, pointing to competitive districts in Pennsylvania, Iowa, New York, New Jersey, and California as key battlegrounds where incumbents must be protected.
From there, Emmer laid out a district-by-district arithmetic in which potential redistricting setbacks could be offset by targeted gains in other states.
Youre already making up one in Maine. Youre going to win Maine, so now youre a negative four. Youre going to win Tennessee, negative three. Youre going to win Alabama, negative two. Youre going to win Louisiana, negative one, Emmer said, walking through a scenario in which careful planning and disciplined campaigning keep the majority intact.
He noted that this calculation did not even factor in additional pickup opportunities in several large and diverse states where Republicans have been making inroads.
Emmer said that calculation did not include additional opportunities in Texas, Florida, New Mexico, and Washington State.
So thats how you do it, he said. You keep what youve got, and then you build in places like Florida, in Texas, New Mexico, and Washington State, underscoring a strategy that combines defense with selective offense in regions where conservative messages on crime, the border, and the economy are resonating.
In his telling, the House map is far from settled, and Republicans who assume defeat or victory based on early forecasts are misreading the landscape.
Emmer pushed back against the narrative that control of the House is already effectively decided, arguing that both parties still have dozens of competitive races to fight over.
At the end of the day, its going to come down to about well, theyll say 21 seats that are in play, Emmer said. I would say its probably 10 to 15, Matt, and it is too close to call.
On the question of campaign resources, Boyle pressed Emmer about whether Republicans will have the financial firepower to compete with Democrats and their allied outside groups.
Emmer responded that Trump-aligned organizations are preparing to invest heavily in both House and Senate contests and pointed to high-profile conservative-leaning figures in the private sector as additional assets.
We do have money to win these races, and weve got allies like President Trump and Elon Musk and others that are doing their job to make sure that they hold the House, Emmer said, framing the financial battle as one in which Republicans are no longer hopelessly outgunned.
He added that strong statewide campaigns in places like Texas and Iowa are likely to boost turnout in down-ballot congressional races, creating a rising tide for GOP candidates.
We have never seen this kind of parity between Republican and Democrat spending, he said, suggesting that the traditional Democrat advantage in political money is narrowing as conservative donors and activists recognize the gravity of the moment.
For Emmer, this spending parity, combined with grassroots enthusiasm, gives Republicans a realistic shot at defying the expectations of pundits who have already written their political obituary.
The conversation then shifted to the ideological trajectory of the Democrat Party and the growing influence of self-described democratic socialists.
Emmer rejected that branding outright, insisting that the movement is far more radical than its carefully chosen label suggests.
Theres nothing democratic about socialism, Matt. They are communist. Theyre flat out Marxist communists and/or anarchists, he said, arguing that the lefts agenda is fundamentally incompatible with American constitutional principles and individual liberty.
He then singled out Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in particularly sharp terms, accusing him of extremist associations and anti-American sympathies.
You got false Muslim prophets like Abdul Abdul El Sayed in Michigan, who literally pals around with terrorists, and his best friend believes that 3,000 people deserved to die here in America 25 years ago yesterday, Emmer charged, tying his criticism to the memory of the September 11 attacks.
Emmer continued, You come to America to be an American, adding that Republicans need to keep sounding the alarm, a call for vigilance against what he sees as ideological subversion from within.
To underscore his warning about socialism and communism, Emmer invoked the work of Ayn Rand, a thinker long admired in conservative and libertarian circles for her defense of individualism and free markets.
He said that the goal of socialism and communism is exactly the same because, in his telling, both seek power over human beings, with one pursuing it through the ballot box and the other through force.
Emmer also turned his fire on New York City officials and progressive icons over their behavior during solemn September 11 commemorations.
He criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) for what he described as disrespectful conduct at memorial observances.
Look what they were doing yesterday, Emmer said. You got this ridiculous mayor of New York, and youve got Ms. Ocasio-Cortez laughing and joking as the names of the fallen from 9/11, 25 years ago, are being read in front of their families and their friends, the survivors.
He called the conduct pathetic and said it illustrated what he views as the political choice facing voters between a left that trivializes sacrifice and a conservative movement that seeks to honor it.
Theres nothing democratic about socialism. I wish we would just call them what they are, Emmer said. These are flat-out communists that are here.
If they are given the gavels, get ready. Theyre coming after you, Emmer added. Theyre not just coming after Donald Trump and his family. Theyre coming after all of us, Matt.
As the interview drew to a close, Boyle asked Emmer to reflect on the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks and what lessons younger Americans, many of whom were not yet born in 2001, should draw from that day.
Emmer responded by stressing the timeless importance of historical memory and the dangers of ignorance in a free society.
Those who do not know history are bound to repeat it, Emmer said, before referencing the Holocaust, the September 11 attacks, and the importance of teaching American history as a safeguard against both foreign threats and internal decay.
If you dont understand your history, and weve done a poor job of actually teaching American history, this is where our public schools have failed as much as anywhere else, he said, criticizing an education system that, in his view, has neglected civic and patriotic instruction in favor of ideological agendas.
Emmer closed by urging Americans to recognize the price that has been paid for their liberties and to act accordingly in the political arena.
You got to defend freedom, Emmer said. And right now, thank God in this country, you can still defend it by showing up on November 3 and voting for Republicans up and down the ticket.
We got to get back to work teaching our young people about our history and why this country is so special, Emmer concluded. So, you got to know your history.
For Emmer and many conservatives, that means coupling a renewed commitment to civic education with robust participation in elections, on the belief that the survival of the American experiment depends on both memory and action.
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