MILWAUKEE — As Minnesota Republicans look to flip the state in November, Trump’s state chairman U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer took aim at President Joe Biden but focused much of his criticism on Vice President Kamala Harris during his Tuesday evening prime-time speech at the Republican National Convention.
Emmer at RNC zeroes in on Kamala Harris as GOP waits to see if Biden will step aside
The Minnesota congressman made sure to mention the vice president while comparing President Biden with former President Trump.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
July 17, 2024 at 12:50PM
It comes at a time when Republicans have been turning their focus on Harris amid questions over whether President Joe Biden should continue running for president or step aside for Harris to run after his poor performance in the debate with Trump.
“When Minneapolis was in flames and businesses were in ruins, Kamala Harris encouraged and enabled the criminals and the rioters,” he said, drawing boos from the delegates. “Oh, it gets worse, she even promoted a fund to release the criminals from jail.”
Emmer was referring to the Minnesota Freedom Fund (MFF), which went from raising six figures in 2018 to $35 million with the help of Harris promoting the fund on social media.
When he took aim at Biden voting for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and China’s entry into the World Trade Organization, he also made sure to mention Harris. “And Kamala Harris? She opposed tariffs on China.”
When he talked about the GOP winning the House majority in 2022, he made sure to say their aim was to “stop the Biden and Harris agenda” and mentioned not just Biden’s but also Harris’ “failed economic agenda.”
Biden has resisted calls to drop out of the race even as more Democrats have joined the chorus of calls for him to do so.
Trump and his allies have wasted no time turning to Harris instead and have been contrasting her with the former president in the event Biden does step aside. Trump recently said that Harris could be the next Democratic challenger and nicknamed her “Laffin’ Kamala Harris.”
“I know firsthand that Minnesotans can’t afford four more years of President Joe Biden and Kamala Harris,” Emmer said. “Which is why I’m confident that we will make history in November when we turn Minnesota red for the first time in 50 years.”
Recent public opinion polling has been mixed on Harris. An AP-NORC poll from June showed that only 4 in 10 Americans had a favorable view of her.
The Biden campaign sharply criticized Trump’s handling of the economy.
“Donald Trump was a disaster for Minnesota’s economy and public safety, overseeing the loss of 130,000 jobs in the state and the largest spike in the murder rate in the country since 1905, which is why Minnesotans rejected him last time,” a Biden campaign spokesperson said in a statement. “After getting elected, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris got to work, bringing our unemployment rate to a record low and bringing crime down while increasing funding for public safety — that’s what it means to lead.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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