President Donald Trump can be proud of his historic first 43 days in office, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) told Breitbart News in an exclusive interview.
Trump will champion the “Renewal of the American Dream” in a joint address to Congress Tuesday evening, and Emmer believes Trump should go aggressive in touting his administration’s early accomplishments.
“Trump is doing exactly what he was hired to do by 77 million people,” Emmer told Breitbart News Tuesday morning before Trump’s address. “You can look at his first 43 days in office and say, ‘promises made, promises kept’, and he’s doing it at a breakneck pace.”
Democrats, drifting leaderless since their November election shellacking, have focused their attacks against Trump on Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). But those attacks aren’t resonating with an American public that has long demanded a focus on cutting spending and bureaucracy, Emmer said.
“America loves what he’s doing,” Emmer said of Trump’s DOGE work, pointing out that Democrats’ focus on the issue exposes their ineptitude.
“That’s a broken party. They don’t have a message. They don’t have a leader. When you are literally fighting to defend waste, fraud and abuse, that is not a winning argument,” he told Breitbart News. “So you can talk about fear mongering, everything they’re trying to do on the other side, [but] I trust the American people. I think they showed you last November, they showed all of us, they know the difference between what Donald Trump is offering and what [Democrats] are saying.
“So I think he just stays the course. Keep doing what he’s doing.”
In December, all voting House Democrats – except one voting “present” – supported the current spending levels Trump has called to extend with a continuing resolution before the March 14 deadline. Yet now, Democrats are expected to oppose extending those spending levels they overwhelmingly supported only three months prior.
Some Democrats are even calling to shut down the federal government to hinder the Trump administration.
“That would be a shame” if Democrats forced a government shutdown, Emmer said. “And if there is one, it’s going to be on the Democrats.”
House Republicans have slim margins, but Emmer expects Trump to get the support he needs for a CR that would enable Republicans to continue their focus on the budget reconciliation process.
“The President has asked for a clean CR and that’s what we’re going to do,” he said. “And it doesn’t mean that negotiation of the appropriations process can’t continue on after that, right?”
Republican members of Congress occupy different points on the ideological spectrum, but Emmer credited Trump’s willingness to talk with and listen to all Republican representatives for his effectiveness advancing his agenda.
Wednesday, Trump is expected to visit Capitol Hill to talk with a group of Republicans in-person about the importance of a CR for his legislative agenda.
“This president talks to all of our members. I mean, it is a very personal relationship between Donald J. Trump and the Republican representatives in the House,” Emmer said. “He’ll do that tomorrow. He’ll do other ones on the phone. He’s just very good about having these discussions, and it’s not one-sided.
“Everybody thinks that he just tells somebody what to do. That’s not it at all. He takes in the feedback, and then he responds and gets people to where they need to be.”
But first, Trump will make his case directly via Congress to the American people. Emmer scowled at reports that some Democrats might pull antics to disrupt Trump’s address.
“I hope everyone acts like an adult,” Emmer said. “America expects better, and they deserve better. So if they’re going to pull childish whatever it is, I think again, that’s not going to go well for me.”
Trump’s joint address to Congress will begin at 9:00 p.m. ET from the House chamber.
Bradley Jaye is Deputy Political Editor for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter and Instagram @BradleyAJaye.
