CNN Anchor Throws Down With House Republican Over Vance’s Migrant Smear: ‘Will You Answer Now?!’

CNN anchor Kate Bolduan grilled GOP House Whip Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) on Monday over the ongoing claims in his party about Haitian migrants eating pets. Bolduan and Emmer ended up speaking past each other as the House Republican refused to answer Bolduan’s question about whether or not the GOP might lose voters by continuing to push the debunked smear, which is now fueling threats against migrants.

“I do also want to get your take, you’ve been around politics for a long time, and JD Vance was on CNN yesterday and he is sticking by the now debunked claims by local officials that he and Donald Trump have spread, suggesting that Haitian migrants are eating pets in Ohio. Let me play what happened yesterday,” Bolduan began, playing a short clip from Sunday.

In the clip, GOP vice presidential nominee JD Vance says , “The American media totally ignored this stuff until Donald Trump and I started talking about cat memes. If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m going to do, Dana.”

“When called out for saying that he’s creating a story here JD Vance tried to clean it up, but the Republican governor just yesterday from Ohio, he called this continued talk about it and this storyline disgusting. He said, ‘A piece of garbage.’ Does this continued focus and digging in by your candidates create a problem for you guys downballot?” Bolduan asked.

“Well, this story is actually about a program, an illegal program, I would suggest. Created by Kamala Harris and Joe Biden,” Emmer replied.

“It’s technically legal,” Bolduan interjected.

“Well, you can say technically 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, Venezuelan program that was created by Kamala Harris and Joe Biden, which brought tens of thousands of migrants to this country,” Emmer added.

“You can talk about this policy without creating stories. The governor of the state of Ohio calls it ‘a piece of garbage.’ There are two colleges that are shut down going, they’re going remote today because of concerns over the environment it has created around this. Does a digging in on the incorrect not misinformation story create a problem for you guys down ballot?” Bolduan pressed, adding:

There is nothing wrong, as we’ve seen in recent politics, congressman, saying I made a mistake or I have an evolving position. Truly. But digging in on this when it’s like transparently seems no one locally wants this to continue seems a problem for you guys.

“What’s the problem is the mainstream media refuses to report what caused this problem. You’ve had thousands of people dropped in this country. By the way. You say it’s technically legal. Then why did they pause it? Because they had so much fraud in the program. The American people need to know that what the Biden-Harris administration did. Well, here, just let me finish, okay?” Emmer hit back.

“We talk policy all the time. We sit down,” Bolduan replied as Emmer cut in, “I’d like to.”

“Then get past the wrong and then move on to the policy,” Bolduan shot back, again pressing on the false claims.

“But talk about the wrong The wrong is that we’ve got an administration that is lawless and they allowed migrants from these different countries to come into this country and they flew them into places like Ohio and Minnesota and California,” Emmer replied.

“If this story of eating pets is completely factually wrong and is not true. You are okay with the story continuing and your candidate continue to talk about it?” Bolduan asked again.

“I hope you start reporting on the problem that causes all of this, which is an administration. Kamala Harris is responsible for allowing thousands of migrants here in improperly because they lied on the application,” Emmer shot back.

“I take your hope, will you answer now?” Bolduan replied, again pressing for an answer.

The two spoke over each other as Bolduan eventually said, “Congressman, 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,” Emmer said as Bolduan jumped in, “Well, we absolutely will once you answer the yes or no.”

“Again, you need to start reporting on what caused this problem,” Emmer repeated.

“We are. Thank you,” said Bolduan with a loud sigh.

Watch the clip above via CNN.