Latest news with #RahmEmanuel
Fox News
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Rahm Emanuel on potential 2028 White House run: 'I have something I think I can offer'
Rahm Emanuel, in his most public comments to date about 2028, is confirming that he's considering a run for the next Democratic presidential nomination. The former Chicago mayor, White House chief of staff in former President Barack Obama's administration, and former congressman from Illinois said this week in an interview with Crain's Chicago Business that "I'm looking at the (Democratic) field, and most importantly, what I have to contribute." "I have been there," Emanuel added in an interview Thursday on CNN. "I have something I think I can offer. But I haven't made that decision." Emanuel, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Japan the past four years during former President Joe Biden's administration, noted that "if I said I wasn't, it wouldn't be true. If I said I have decided, that also wouldn't be true." Emanuel, who worked as a policy adviser in the 1990s in then-President Bill Clinton's administration and who later steered the Democrats' capture of the House majority in the 2006 election, has been seen for months as a possible contender for what is likely to be a wide-open and crowded 2028 Democratic presidential nomination race. And since returning from Japan at the end of the Biden administration, Emanuel has been offering blistering assessments of the Democratic Party, in the wake of last November's stunning setbacks when the party lost control of the White House, the Senate, and failed to win back the House majority from the GOP. Emanuel called the Democratic Party's brand "toxic" and "weak and woke" in a profile piece last month in the Wall Street Journal. "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," he told the Wall Street Journal. In his interview with Crain's, Emanuel urged Democrats to return to "kitchen table issues…we have to go back to how we won. Focus on middle-class economics and values." But the moderate Emanuel has long earned the ire of the progressive wing of the party. He was heavily criticized by many on the left over a decade ago for his handling, as Chicago mayor, of the police murder of Laquan McDonald, which grabbed national attention. And progressives, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, in 2021, tried to block confirmation of Emanuel's ambassadorship over long-held allegations he tried to cover up the McDonald shooting.
The Hill
5 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Rahm Emanuel on possible White House bid: ‘I have something I think I can offer'
Former U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said he was considering a 2028 presidential bid in a new interview Thursday. 'You got to look at this, you got to be comfortable understanding the family room. You got to be comfortable understanding, literally, the classroom, comfortable in the, what I would call, the boardroom, comfortable in the Situation Room, and periodically comfortable in emergency room,' Emanuel told CNN's Kaitlan Collins. 'And my problem is, our party's only been good in the locker room and the bathroom. And so, you got to be comfortable in all those rooms and understand that,' Emanuel, who is also a CNN commentator, continued, referring to the ongoing debate over transgender women playing on women's sports teams. 'I have been there,' Emanuel added. 'I have something I think I can offer. But I haven't made that decision. So, if I said I wasn't, it wouldn't be true. If I said I have decided, that also wouldn't be true.' Emanuel has acknowledged he's considering running for president in 2028 and has been one of the party's loudest critics after Democrats suffered a disappointing November election. He's notably described the Democratic Party brand as 'weak and woke' and 'toxic' and suggested the party has only lost supporters in recent years. 'Politics is addition, not subtraction, and we've been doing subtraction really well,' he said at an Economic Club of Chicago event in March, according to WGN-TV. He's also stoked speculation that he could be instead heightening his profile for a possible gubernatorial run; Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D), also seen as a 2028 hopeful, has not said whether he plans to run for a third term as governor. Democrats are sure to see a crowded field for the primary as a handful of other Democrats weigh bids or have been floated for the job, including Govs. Gavin Newsom of California, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Tim Walz of Minnesota, Pritzker and Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), among others.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Weak,' ‘whiny' and ‘invisible': Critics of DNC Chair Ken Martin savage his tenure
Four-and-a-half months after the Democratic National Committee chair pledged to focus on fighting Donald Trump, Ken Martin's short tenure leading the organization has been engulfed by bitter infighting. Even longtime party insiders are getting impatient. Interviews with a dozen DNC members revealed deep frustration with Martin and concern about his ability to unify and lead a party trying to recover from massive electoral losses in 2024. One DNC member — who, like others in this story, was granted anonymity to speak candidly — described him as looking 'weak and whiny,' and another said he has been 'invisible' and his 'early tenure has been disappointing.' Rahm Emanuel, former President Barack Obama's first White House chief of staff, said the committee is floundering. 'We're in the most serious existential crisis with Donald Trump both at home and abroad — and with the biggest political opportunity in a decade,' Emanuel said. 'And the DNC has spent six months on a firing squad in the circle, and can't even fire a shot out. And Trump's world is a target-rich environment.' Many DNC members and outside Democrats, including Martin's supporters, said they wished the party would just move on from recent internal turmoil and focus instead on mounting an effective fight against Trump. Two influential labor union heads quit their posts at the DNC after disagreements over the party's direction. Gun control activist David Hogg was ousted from the DNC's vice chairman position after he pledged to fund primary challenges against "ineffective" has infuriated some Democrats by purging a number of party officials from a powerful panel that has enormous sway over the presidential nominating contest. And Martincomplained in a private meeting that intraparty warfare had 'destroyed any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to.' Martin and his supporters argue he's focused on the things that matter and will ultimately win elections. They said he has traveled to dozens of states and boosted funding to state parties at the same time that Democrats have overperformed in special elections this year. They maintain the overwhelming majority of DNC members are solidly behind Martin, and that his detractors are a vocal minority. 'I ran and won the race for DNC chair to get the DNC out of DC — because too many people in DC want to point fingers, and play the blame game,' said Martin in a statement to POLITICO. 'They want to win irrelevant arguments, with no strategy involved, but the one strategic thing that makes us relevant is winning elections. I was elected chair to help our party win again, and we are.' But some Democrats worry the DNC is struggling to hold its own coalition together, let alone expand its appeal. They expressed frustration over the DNC's break-up with American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten and AFSCME President Lee Saunders — who between them represent millions of members — as the latest sign of a widening gap between party leadership and the labor movement, a once-core part of the Democratic coalition. 'The DNC is weaker than I have ever seen it. … They have shown zero ability to chart a post-24 vision for Democrats,' said a Democratic strategist with close ties to labor unions, who was granted anonymity to speak frankly. The longtime leaders of the teachers and state and local employee unions couldn't 'in good faith continue to rubber-stamp what was going on with the DNC,' the strategist said. Both Weingarten and Saunders expressed concern about Democrats not enlarging their tent in their respective letter and statement about their departures. Weingarten told POLITICO, 'I have said my piece. I want the Democratic Party to work for working families. That's what FDR did, that's what Joe Biden did, and that's what we should expect from the party.' Some Democratic lawmakers have gone public with their complaints that the DNC's infighting has distracted from the party's larger goals. Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) grumbled on the social media platform X that he would "love to have a day go by" without the DNC doing 'something embarrassing & off message.' Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) said on X he wanted 'a party with a big tent and inclusion, not subtraction and pushing people out.' Other Democrats cited what they described as Martin's ham-handed approach to the DNC's influential rules and bylaws committee, which is charged with setting the 2028 presidential primary calendar. Martin purged members of the panel, including Weingarten and Saunders, who had supported Martin's top opponent in the February election for DNC chair. Of the 15 Democrats he took off the panel, 13 of them hadn't voted for Martin, according to an internal record obtained by POLITICO. Martin only reappointed four individuals for the panel who didn't back him in the chair election, according to the documents. Martin's supporters said he deserves to install his own team — as other chairs traditionally have done. And they argued he has actually diluted his own power to give the rest of the party a say by opening up some coveted committee slots to election by DNC members. He has also pledged that 15 at-large DNC positions will be elected by DNC caucuses and councils. Martin's allies said his changes have empowered state and local leaders — and, at times, taken clout away from more Washington-oriented Democrats who are now upset over their loss of power. Pointing to Democrats' overperformance in special elections this year, they said his strategy is showing returns. 'Many people get comfortable with the status quo,' said James Skoufis, a member of the 'People's Cabinet' at the DNC. 'I would argue that the status quo is far riskier than transforming the DNC and, in the process, perhaps ruffling the feathers of some individuals who prefer the status quo.' Jaime Harrison, a former DNC chair, said that the internal strife that Martin is encountering is similar to what past leaders of the party experienced following their elections. 'My perspective is some of this is the normal thing that happens,' he said. 'You have a contentious DNC race and sometimes feelings get a little raw. But then people really start to focus on what's at hand.' Still, Harrison acknowledged, the fissures have at times overshadowed Martin's efforts. 'He's just putting in the work, and the sad part is that most people don't know because we've been focused lately on Democratic primaries and stuff that in the grand scheme of things doesn't really matter,' he said. At the top of the list of recent party obsessions: Hogg and his vow to fund primary challenges to sitting Democrats. Martin's allies said Hogg, not the DNC chairman, is to blame for distracting the party. But even some of Martin's supporters have second-guessed his role in the drama, saying he should have forced Hogg out earlier, pointing to the fact that the young activist fundraised off of his fight with party leadership with digital ads that included the tagline, 'The old guard is pissed at me. Fight back,' according to screenshots shared with POLITICO. Other members, meanwhile, felt Martin should have kept Hogg in the fold, arguing it was a 'missed opportunity' for the party 'to capitalize on an asset that could've been so helpful for the party,' a third DNC member said, citing Hogg's enormous social media megaphone:'Does anyone else at the DNC have a million followers on X?' the person added. By his own admission, Martin, a little-known figure nationally who previously served as chair of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, has struggled to become more widely recognized. In the audio of the DNC meeting obtained by POLITICO, Martin said, 'No one knows who the hell I am, right? I'm trying to get my sea legs underneath of me and actually develop any amount of credibility so I can go out there and raise the money and do the job I need to to put ourselves in a position to win.' Some Democrats said that Martin was in his early days as chair and deserves the benefit of the doubt. 'Mr. Martin is just starting out,' said Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), who added the two have a relationship. 'You give people a bit more time before you start making evaluations.' But other Democratic lawmakers have yet to sit down with him. 'To tell you the truth, I don't know him. I haven't met him yet,' Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) said when asked how Martin has done in his first months as chair. 'I am sure he's doing everything he can, but we can all improve our communication of what is going on with this regime.'
CBS News
a day ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel considering run for president, Crain's reports
Former Chicago Mayor and Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel is reportedly considering a run for president in 2028. In an interview with Crain's Chicago Business, Emanuel said he's looking at the Democratic field and what he could contribute. The former mayor has been making the media rounds, talking about what the party needs to do to bring voters back to its caucus. For him, he said that includes focusing on so-called kitchen table issues and not worrying about political correctness. Emanuel has been coy about his possible plans for his political future since leaving his ambassador post at the end of the Biden administration. He also hasn't ruled out another run for mayor in 2027, or a run for governor in 2026 if Gov. JB Pritzker doesn't seek a third term. Former Illinois Republican Party chairman Pat Brady said Emanuel confirming he's considering a run for president in 2028 might amount to nothing more than "testing the waters." "His message, it's not like the rest of the Democrats' message. He's much more centrist, kind of what Bill Clinton did in '92, and I think he's probably testing to see how well-received that is, because there's some people who don't want to hear that message," Brady said. Compared to recent presidential races, Brady said he expects the Democratic field in 2028 to be a bit more moderate. "Yes, in '92, Bill Clinton basically saved the Democratic Party by bringing it back to the center, and I think that's what Ambassador Emanuel, Mayor Emanuel is trying to do, but that may be an uphill climb, because a party like the Republican Party may have moved into a different direction," Brady said. "The Democrats have to take a good hard look at themselves. They lost to Donald Trump twice, twice; probably one of the weakest candidates the Republicans have put up in the party's history, and twice they lost to him, so they've got to take a good look at what they're doing." Brady said, for Democrats to win in 2028, he believes they need to start focusing on kitchen table issues to win over middle class voters who supported Trump in 2024.o contributed to this report.
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Democrats ‘weaker than ever' amid ‘existential' Trump crisis as ‘whiny' and ‘invisible' new leader dithers: report
Democrats are quickly losing confidence in new national committee chairman Ken Martin, according to a new report Thursday. Members of the Democratic National Committee spoke to Politico and described their frustration with Martin, who became chairman four and a half months ago after Democrats' 2024 loss of the Senate and White House while Republicans held onto the House of Representatives. Democrats are increasingly worried about his ability to lead the party back to victory against a strong Donald Trump-centric GOP. One DNC member called Martin 'weak and whiny' while another called him 'invisible' and said that Martin's 'early tenure has been disappointing.' Martin has faced criticism for how he handled an internal battle that went public with 25-year-old Parkland High School shooting survivor David Hogg, who was elected as vice chairman of the DNC before he was ousted after he launched an effort to run primary challenges against veteran incumbent Democrats. Politico later published audio of Martin telling the gun-rights activist Hogg 'you essentially destroyed any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to. So it's really frustrating.' 'We're in the most serious existential crisis with Donald Trump both at home and abroad — and with the biggest political opportunity in a decade,' Rahm Emanuel, former chief of staff to Barack Obama, told Politico. Emanuel, the former mayor of Chicago, has hinted at potentially running for president. 'And the DNC has spent six months on a firing squad in the circle, and can't even fire a shot out,' Emanuel said. 'And Trump's world is a target-rich environment.' Martin's problems run deeper than a clash with Hogg. American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union president Lee Saunders quit their roles in the DNC. One Democratic strategist with ties to labor said ,'The DNC is weaker than I have ever seen it. … They have shown zero ability to chart a post-24 vision for Democrats.' The strategist said labor could not 'in good faith continue to rubber-stamp what was going on with the DNC.' But Martin disputed the characterization of his tenure. 'I ran and won the race for DNC chair to get the DNC out of DC — because too many people in DC want to point fingers, and play the blame game,' he said in a statement to Politico. 'They want to win irrelevant arguments, with no strategy involved, but the one strategic thing that makes us relevant is winning elections. I was elected chair to help our party win again, and we are.' A former chairman of Minnesota's Democratic Party, Martin had developed a reputation of winning when he helped flip both houses in the state legislature and flipped formerly red districts in Minnesota. He had the backing of Gov. Tim Walz, the state's governor and the former Democratic nominee for vice president. Martin beat out Ben Wikler, the former head of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, to lead the party after many criticized the tenure of Jaime Harrison, the former DNC chairman. ''My perspective is some of this is the normal thing that happens,' Harrison told Politico. 'You have a contentious DNC race and sometimes feelings get a little raw. But then people really start to focus on what's at hand.' But some criticized Martin's approach to the DNC's rules and bylaws committee. Martin purged 15 people on the committee, 13 of whom had not voted for him. Some defended Martin's approach and said he should have his own team. 'Many people get comfortable with the status quo,' James Soufkis, part of Martin's 'People's Cabinet' at the DNC. 'I would argue that the status quo is far riskier than transforming the DNC and, in the process, perhaps ruffling the feathers of some individuals who prefer the status quo.' Martin's woes come as Democrats begin planning the calendar for the 2028 primaries, and, more pressingly, begin to run against the Republican trifecta in 2026.
