Rahm Emanuel, an American Democratic politician and diplomat who recently served as the U.S. ambassador to Japan during the Biden administration, is reportedly planning on making a run for the highest office of all – the U.S. presidency.
According to Politico, Emanuel has openly stated that he is “not done with public office” and noted that since finishing his assignment in Japan in January, he has “no idea” what he is doing.
“I’ve only been back two months, I have no idea what I’m doing,” Emanuel told Politico. “I’m not done with public service and I’m hoping public service is not done with me.”
After leaving his position as ambassador, Emanuel was offered a contract with CNN, has a regular column at The Washington Post, and is making his way around the lecture circuit.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Emanuel has floated the idea of possibly running once again for Chicago mayor or seeking to take the Illinois governorship. Emanuel served as Chicago mayor from 2011 to 2019 after he had served two years for former President Barack Obama.
During a speech at the Economic Club of Chicago, Emanuel was asked about taking another run at the mayor’s office in 2027.
“I’ve said it before. I’m gonna say it again. I’m not done with public service, and I hope public service is not done with me,” Emanuel told the moderator, Chris Jones before adding, “It’s not a yes, either.”
The Chicago Tribune further reported that Emanuel has said that President Donald Trump‘s “Make America Great Again” supporters was Democrats to focus on “woke” culture because “you’re missing everything else that’s happening at the kitchen table,” Emanuel said. “The data is pretty clear that people think that’s all we care about.”
Emanuel went on to say that it was a “misnomer” to think that voters have totally rejected the Democratic Party after last year’s defeat by Trump.
“Politics is addition, not subtraction and we’ve been doing subtraction really well, really well,” Emanuel said, while noting that the American Dream has become harder for Americans to achieve, and is “inaccessible, it’s unaffordable. And for the Democratic Party, that’s unacceptable that the American Dream is only allowed for people above $300,000 a year. That’s wrong.”
