CNN Host Visibly Exasperated by GOP Rep’s Defense of Migrant Conspiracies
GOP Rep. Tom Emmer refused to directly address JD Vance’s unfounded conspiracy theories about Haitian immigrants in Ohio when asked multiple times Monday morning on CNN, leaving anchor Kate Bolduan exasperated by the exchange.
Bolduan called the Minnesota congressman’s attention to how Vance admitted over the weekend that he had no issue repeating the false story about immigrants in his state supposedly eating pets—despite Ohio’s Republican governor calling the conspiracies harmful and “disgusting.”
“Does this continued focus and digging-in by your candidates create a problem for you guys down-ballot?” Bolduan asked.
Emmer sidestepped the question entirely.
“This story is actually about a program—an illegal program, I would suggest—created by Kamala Harris and Joe Biden,” Emmer said.
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Many Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, are there legally, according to city officials, through the federal government’s Temporary Protected Status classification.
“It’s been paused because of all kinds of fraud. And listen, Kate, if you don’t want to talk about the Cuba-Haitian-Nicaraguan-Cuban-Venezuelan program that was created by Kamala Harris and Joe Biden, which brought tens of thousands of migrants to this country,” Emmer went on, as Bolduan jumped in.
“You can talk about this policy without creating stories,” she said, noting bomb threats to schools, government offices and hospitals due to the language from Vance and Donald Trump, who, when given the chance, didn’t denounce those bomb threats.
Bolduan repeated her question, but Emmer again didn’t engage.
“What’s a problem is the mainstream media refusing to report what caused this,” he said, prompting the CNN anchor to reject his response.
“No, no, no, no, no,” she said. “You and I talk policy all the time. But this one, get past the wrong, and move on to the policy!”
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Emmer continued to discuss something else.
“How about talk about the wrong? The wrong is that we’ve got an administration that is lawless,” he said, leaving Bolduan essentially no choice but to believe that Emmer has no issue with deliberately false claims about Ohioans by Vance, who spent Monday night preaching the need to “love our neighbors.”
“If this story about eating pets is completely, factually wrong and is not true, you are OK with the story continuing and your candidate continuing to talk about it?” she asked.
Emmer’s response was more of the same: “I hope you start reporting on the problem that causes all of this, which is the administration. Kamala Harris is responsible for allowing thousands of migrants here improperly because they lie on their applications.”
As Bolduan asked him if he would answer “yes” or “no,” Emmer kept talking.
“Congressman,” she concluded, “the inability to answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on the simple question kind of takes away the heft of wanting to talk about the policy.”
“Well, I‘d love it if you would talk about the actual policy created by the Biden administration,” Emmer insisted.
“We will,” Bolduan replied, “once you get to answering the ‘yes’ or ‘no.’”
Emmer punted once more, and Bolduan let out an exasperated sigh as the interview wrapped.
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