CNN’s John Berman Throws Down With House Republican Over Claims On Trump’s Economy: ‘I Asked You a Question About Facts’

CNN anchor John Berman sparred with Republican House Whip Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) on Monday over the state of the U.S economy during a segment meant to be about how Emmer helped Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) prepare for Tuesday’s vice presidential debate.

“And how would you assess JD Vance? Because right now in the polls, poll after poll shows that the voters view him unfavorably. He’s underwater in terms of favorability,” Berman asked at one point.

Emmer replied with an attack on Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), saying, “Well, first off, if you look at Tim Walz, he’s not popular, but those same polls suggest he is as he is introduced and his policies are introduced to the American people, It’s going to be much like Minnesota, where he’s very unpopular. He lost his former congressional district both times he ran for governor and he lost it by almost ten points last time. And I think when it comes to JD, his opportunity tomorrow night to reintroduce himself to the country, I think they will like JD Vance.”

“Governor Walz has won twice though statewide in Minnesota. And a vote in Minneapolis counts as much, you know, as a vote anywhere else. I mean, he’s won twice as governor in Minnesota, correct?” shot back Berman.

“Let’s be clear. The last election, he barely got over the line with just over 50% of the vote out of our 87 counties, he lost 74 of them. And in those 74, he got 37% of the vote, John. Once he shows you what he’s all about, which I could go into details, but we don’t have time,” responded Emmer.

“Counties don’t vote, the people vote. And again, when you’re looking at the favorability for JD Vance, I mean, how do you explain how CNN has won 12 points underwater? Reuters has him 12 points underwater? Quinnipiac has him ten points underwater,” pressed Berman.

“Again, as people are introduced to Tim Walz and understand that this guy is for free health care, a free college tuition. He’s given driver’s licenses to illegals. Thousands, as we have now learned from Ice, are rapists and murderers who are in this country. He wants an open border just like Harris. These two are both soft on crime and soft on the border,” Emmer hit back, again pivoting to the Democrats.

Berman pressed again, “Again, I was talking about Senator Vance, though. Mitt Romney said, quote, ‘I don’t know that I can disrespect someone more than JD Vance.’ That was the McKay Coppins book, ‘Romney A Reckoning.’”

“Again, I think JD Vance is going to do a great job tomorrow night when people focus on the issues. And the issues are very clear for the American people. Donald Trump had a great economy. Lowest unemployment rate in 50 years. I think it was half a century. He had families making $6,000 more in wages over the course of his tenure in his first term. Guess what, John? Kamala Harris and Joe Biden broke the economy. They open the border. They’ve created all these problems around the globe. JD is going to do a great job talking about the fact that Donald Trump did it once. He’ll fix it again,’ responded Emmer.

Berman hit back with a quick fact-check, noting, “Economist Mark Zandi just called this the greatest economy he’s seen in 35 years. The unemployment rate has been consistently at 4% or lower, and GDP has been around 3% for the entire administration. Comparing economic records, I am sure the candidates will do that. In your preparation, how challenging has it been to get Senator Vance to hew to the facts?”

“And I ask that because of the things that he said that were dishonest about eating pets in Ohio. I ask it because he claims that President Biden didn’t pass or sign the law mandating $35 insulin for all Medicaid recipients,” added Berman.

Emmer replied, “This is the problem with the media, John, quite frankly. You just talked about how unemployment is so low, how this is the greatest economy we have ever seen. Just keep saying that, because the Americans that I’m dealing with, the constituents, they see an economy that’s broken. They see inflation that cost them $1,200 more a month on average than for the same basket of goods they just bought four years ago. You keep saying it and you keep trying to distract from the issues with these.”

“I was quoting Mark Zandi and I was giving you unemployment figures, but I asked you a question about facts and JD Vance,” Berman replied.

Emmer cut in, “And I asked you to talk about facts that are important to the American people, the economy that Biden broke, that Trump will fix the border, that Kamala Harris has left wide open.”

“So it’s okay. It’s okay. It’s okay to misstate facts when you don’t think they’re important to you?” shot back Berman.

“I think JD Vance will be very clear tomorrow night, and I think he’s going to do a great job,” insisted Emmer.

Watch the clip above via CNN.