“We get to set the course for whatever comes next.”
WASHINGTON, DC – With the mid-term elections less than five months away, The Ripon Society hosted a breakfast discussion with House Republican Whip Tom Emmer (MN-06) who shared his thoughts on how the party will hold the U.S. House of Representatives for another two years.
Emmer opened by taking stock of where Congress stands heading into the second half of the legislative year, expressing frustration with floor tactics he views as counterproductive and urging his colleagues to stay focused on the work ahead.
“We are in a bit of an inflection point right now in this Congress,” he said. “We got some very important things to get done before the midterms. We’ve got a surface transportation bill that’s got to get done. We’ve got the NDAA, it’s got to get done. We’ve got things that are on the board that have to get through the House, and they can, if we can get them to the floor.”
On the broader political moment, Emmer was characteristically direct — and optimistic.
“We’re so lucky to be here right now. I mean, think about it. Did you want to live during boring times? No. This is not boring. Donald J. Trump is a bridge to whatever comes next. This is a reset button that happens every so many decades in this country. … We get to live through this and we get to set the course for whatever comes next.”
Addressing the results of recent Democratic primaries in New York, Emmer struck a more serious tone, arguing that the rise of socialist sentiment among young voters reflects decades of failure in American education.
“This is not funny. It’s very serious stuff. We’ve done a terrible job in the education system in this country now for several decades. Our young people have not been appropriately educated as to what socialism is and what it leads to. … So, it is time that all of us start to recognize, despite our differences, that this is literally about freedom in this country. Reagan was not wrong when he said we are one generation away from losing this great country. These are young adults. These are smart people, but they don’t see the world working for them right now, especially in places like New York City.
“We got to do a much better job of communicating why it is that the founding principles of this country give every individual the best opportunity to succeed and chase their American dream,” he added.
Turning to the 2026 midterms, Emmer argued that the economy will be the decisive factor in November, and that the outcome will hinge on a simple emotional calculation voters make heading into Election Day.
“They’re going to ask themselves: do I feel better about my situation today than I did when this started? Do I see a bright future for myself and my family?” he said. “If the answer to that question is yes, they vote for more of what they’ve had.”
He also pushed back on predictions of a Democratic wave, pointing to structural advantages he believes give Republicans the edge. He noted that of the 40 seats Democrats have targeted, Donald Trump’s average margin of victory exceeded 53 percent — six points higher than the comparable battlefield in 2018. “I’m not talking about some generic ballot,” he said. “This is real.”
He closed by highlighting a critical asymmetry in competitive districts: 23 House Democrats currently represent seats carried by Donald Trump, compared to just eight House Republicans representing seats carried by Kamala Harris — and 14 of those 23 Democratic-held Trump districts were won by double digits.
“There are 23 Democrats that sit in seats that Donald Trump won. There are eight Republicans that sit in seats that Kamala won,” Emmer said. “I like our chances.”
To watch Emmer’s remarks to The Ripon Society yesterday, please click the link below:
The Ripon Society is a public policy organization that was founded in 1962 and takes its name from the town where the Republican Party was born in 1854 – Ripon, Wisconsin. One of the main goals of The Ripon Society is to promote the ideas and principles that have made America great and contributed to the GOP’s success. These ideas include keeping our nation secure, keeping taxes low and having a federal government that is smaller, smarter and more accountable to the people.