Rahm Emanuel, an ex-Obama White House chief of staff and former Chicago mayor, said in a Wall Street Journal interview published Monday that the Democratic Party’s brand is “weak and woke.”
Emanuel also told the WSJ that he believes the Democratic Party’s brand is “toxic.” The interview comes amid increasing speculation that Emanuel could be a potential candidate in the party’s 2028 presidential primary, which is likely to be crowded.
“I’m tired of sitting in the back seat when somebody’s gunning it at 90 miles an hour for a cliff,” Emanuel told the WSJ.
“If you want the country to give you the keys to the car, somebody’s got to be articulating an agenda that’s fighting for America, not just fighting Trump,” Emanuel told the outlet. “The American dream has become unaffordable. It’s inaccessible. And that has to be unacceptable to us.”
Emanuel served in Congress from 2003 to 2009, worked as the White House chief of staff under the Obama administration from 2009 to 2010, and later served as Chicago mayor from 2011 to 2019. He most recently served as the U.S. ambassador to Japan under the Biden administration.
Emanuel’s tenure as mayor of Chicago was marred by a slew of controversies. In 2013, he oversaw one of the largest public school closings in U.S. history, with critics at the time claiming the move could negatively impact students of color.
Earlier in May, Emanuel told ABC’s “The View” that he was “in training” when asked about his seeming to be a potential 2028 presidential candidate. The former Chicago mayor could also run for Governor of Illinois in 2026. Current Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has not yet announced whether he will seek a third term in office, fueling speculation that he may be gearing up to launch his own presidential bid in 2028.
When asked about potentially running against Pritzker in the 2028 presidential race, Emanuel told the WSJ that he thinks it would be “awkward” since they are friends.
“Of course it would be awkward,” Emanuel told the outlet. “We’re friends. He has something he wants to offer. I have something I want to offer.”
Emanuel could not immediately be reached for comment.
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