Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-NJ) told Breitbart News in an exclusive interview on Friday that he wants “strong, secure borders,” while his Democrat opponent Andy Kim wants to impeach President Donald Trump, abolish the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE), and create open borders.
MacArthur, a two-term congressman, faces off against Andy Kim, a Democrat with far-left ties who has tried to paint himself as a moderate. Kim founded and serves as the board of director of Rise Stronger, a far-left group dedicated to resisting President Donald Trump’s agenda. MacArthur even pointed out that Andy Kim has “been endorsed by the New Jersey Communist Party.”
Congressman MacArthur told Breitbart News, “You got to his website and he’s aligned himself with resistance groups that have called for jihad against the United States, promoting books by cop killers, and 9/11 conspiracy theorists, domestic terrorists, I could go on, but this is a guy who is raising a lot of money so he can paint himself as a moderate.”
Rep. MacArthur said that Kim’s organization has promoted books written by cop killers such as Mumia Abu-Jamal, anti-Semites, 9/11 conspiracy theorists, and domestic terrorists such as Bill Ayers.
On one occasion in July, Kim refused 16 times to answer whether he would support abolishing ICE and then later admitted that he would oppose abolishing the nation’s immigration enforcement agency.
The New Jersey Republican then suggested that Kim’s unwillingness to answer whether he would support abolishing ICE shows that he is split between whether to support his far-left allies or whether to continue presenting as a moderate Democrat.
“I think his unwillingness to answer that question until someone scripted him is really telling. He was asked 16 times and then waited days before [saying whether] he would abolish ICE or not,” MacArthur contended. “It would take me a nanosecond to answer that question; it’s where most illegal drugs are coming from—over the southern border. We have criminals over the southern borders, and these people want open borders, just shut down the law enforcement agency that’s helping them.”
Congressman MacArthur also chastised his Democratic opponent for filing his taxes in Washington, DC, to receive a tax break on his nearly $1 million condo.
“At the same time, he repeatedly told New Jerseyans that he lives here and vote here and run for office here, and at the same time told Washington, DC, that he lived there so he could take a significant tax break on his $900,000 condo in Washington,” MacArthur told Breitbart News. “He’s a tax cheat, and when he got caught, he had to write them a check.”
MacArthur said that Kim also flip-flopped on his support for President Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The American Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rose to 4.1 percent in the second quarter of 2018, which is the fastest rate since 2014.
“This isn’t the first time he delayed on this—he totally resisted the tax cuts until he found out the people in the district might like them and then said, ‘I might not be so quick to overturn them,’” MacArthur said.
In contrast, MacArthur said, “People know where I stand whether they agree or disagree with me, I am straight with folks, I think I owe them that. I supported the tax cuts because I think they were good for the country and I think they were good for my state. You’re now seeing the results—low unemployment, high growth, this is an economic boom for the country.”
After Paul Ryan failed to get the original Obamacare repeal effort, otherwise known as the American Health Care Act (AHCA), through the House last year, then-Tuesday Group co-chairman MacArthur teamed up with House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-NC) to pass an overhauled Obamacare repeal package through the House.
“I tried to improve the health care system; my opponent wants a government-run healthcare system, I think it’s a rotten idea,” MacArthur explained. “I don’t want a healthcare system with all of the friendliness of the IRS. That’s bad for my constituents.”
The New Jersey Republican did not endorse House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) or Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) to replace the outgoing Speaker Paul Ryan. However, MacArthur said he has “done a lot of work with Jim Jordan and we are friends, and I also have a lot of respect for Kevin, he’s a smart guy.”
Congressman MacArthur said that, if re-elected to Congress, he will work towards cutting burdensome taxes and regulations and ensuring a strong border, while suggesting that his opponent would push for impeachment of President Trump, abolishing ICE, and socialized medicine.
MacArthur said, “First, I would continue to push for getting past Washington dysfunction and getting things actually done. One, I think that we need to stand strong on the world stage, I am committed to strong, secure borders, we cannot have people wandering into the country when they want to, we cannot have drugs and gang members and others coming into the country because we do not have the fortitude to protect our borders.”
The Congressman continued, “I think for Andy Kim, it’s impeachment, there’s no question if the Democrats take over the House that they will move to take out the president, he will support Nancy Pelosi and will support that agenda. Eliminating or weakening ICE to the point where we cannot protect our borders is something that he will no doubt push for. He will push for a European-style takeover of health care, socialized medicine.”
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.