GOP rep clashes with ABC News host over recent Trump rhetoric: 'I think we should stick to the issues'

ABC News' Martha Raddatz and Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., clashed on Sunday over recent comments former President Trump made about Vice President Kamala Harris as the lawmaker argued repeatedly they should "stick to the issues."

"Do you think Kamala Harris is mentally disabled, do you approve of that kind of language?" Raddatz said, repeating Trump's comments at a recent rally. 

Trump told a crowd at a recent Wisconsin rally, "Joe Biden became mentally impaired. Kamala was born that way. She was born that way. And if you think about it only a mentally disabled person could have allowed this to happen to our country."

Emmer argued that Harris was the "wrong choice" for America.

ABC News' Martha Raddatz clashed with GOP Rep. Tom Emmer on Sunday, September 29, 2024. (Screenshot/ABC)

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"Congressman, do you approve of that language?" Raddatz interrupted, "do you approve of that language, Donald Trump calling her mentally disabled, mentally impaired?"

"I think we should stick to the issues," Emmer responded.

Raddatz then turned the conversation to Trump and Vance's unsubstantiated claim about Haitian migrants eating cats and dogs in Springfield, Ohio. 

"One of the issues is of course, migrants. I can’t believe we’re still talking about this, but the baseless claims elevated by Vance and Trump that Haitian migrants were eating their pets," Raddatz said. "If the moderators in the debate ask Vance about this, should he finally make clear it is not true?"

GOP Rep. Tom Emmer joined ABC News' Martha Raddatz on Sunday for an interview on "This Week." (Screenshot/ABC)

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Emmer said the question was "such a distraction."

"The people in the mainstream media want to put up these shiny objects to distract people from what they see happen every day," Emmer continued, before Raddatz pushed back and argued that Trump and Vance brought up the issue.

"I think they've got to focus on the issues. The issues are very clear. The economy works under Donald Trump. It doesn’t work under Kamala Harris. The border is sealed under Donald Trump and crime is under control. And the border is wide open and Kamala Harris is going into Minnesota trying to bail out rioters and people who are attacking policemen with a bail fund. The list goes on and on. It will be a very clear contrast between JD Vance and Donald Trump’s agenda versus what Kamala Harris is talking about. I don’t know why you guys don’t ask her about her price controls, I mean, she’s been way to the left," Emmer said. 

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Raddatz argued that ABC does ask Harris about "price controls," and asked if Emmer would support the policies Harris proposed during her border visit.

"Do we believe her now after she’s had almost four years to solve the border crisis and all she did was made sure that it was wide open?" Emmer responded. "This is too little, too late. Nobody can believe her because her actions have said something completely different for four years."