By Another Obama alumnus has begun gearing up for the top spot. After a decade absent from electoral politics, former Chicago mayor and former Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel appears to be laying the groundwork for a 2028 presidential campaign. Since returning to the United States in January following his tenure as Biden’s ambassador to Japan, Emanuel has aggressively reasserted his presence in public discourse, fueling speculation about his White House ambitions.
Despite his characteristic self-deprecating remarks where he quipped that he has “no idea” what he’s going to do next, Emanuel’s actions suggest otherwise, writes Politico.
Name the political podcast and Emanuel has likely been on it or will be shortly. He immediately snagged a CNN contract and regular Washington Post column, no small accomplishment for a former official at a moment of retrenchment for news organizations.
He’s also hitting the lecture circuit, appearing for paid and gratis gigs before audiences such as the Realtors and the Chicago Economic Club. Emanuel is pointedly avoiding Ivy League campuses and later this month will make his first stop on a service academy tour when he speaks at West Point.
The biggest Rahm-may-run tell, though, is that he’s already road-testing the first outlines of a stump speech, or at least an issue he can make his own.
“I am done with the discussion of locker rooms, I am done with the discussion of bathrooms and we better start having a conversation about the classroom,” Emanuel said, drawing applause as he alluded to a new study showing more than two-thirds of eighth graders can’t read at grade level.
Political insiders are taking his potential candidacy seriously. Veteran Democratic strategist Doug Sosnik told Politico he thinks the timing is opportune for the rough-and-tumble mayor. “Twenty years ago, this would have been an Onion article,” he remarked. “But no other potential contender is nearly as qualified.”
“Should Emanuel enter the race, he would bring both significant advantages and notable vulnerabilities,” explained The Daily Caller. “His reputation as a formidable political tactician—sharpened over years in the Clinton White House, Congress, and the Obama administration—has earned him respect across party lines. Even some Republicans acknowledge his political acumen. “Rahm Emanuel is the best all-around player for the Democratic Party,” said Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), who worked alongside him in the House.
Additionally, he faced backlash for using private email accounts to conduct official city business during his tenure as mayor, further fueling allegations that Emanuel deliberately circumvented transparency laws to conceal questionable dealings from public view.
As U.S. ambassador to Japan, Emanuel frequently used social media to mock Chinese leadership, drawing attention to high-profile disappearances of government officials.”
Emmanuel’s candidacy would likely face considerable opposition from the Democrats’ new leftwing base that has taken over the party. His centrist economic policies and history of contentious relations with labor unions—particularly during his tenure as Chicago mayor—have made him a divisive figure among progressives. The 2014 police shooting of Laquan McDonald remains a stain on his mayoral legacy, and his pragmatic, often blunt approach to governance may not resonate with the Democratic Party’s more progressive base.
For now, Emanuel remains noncommittal. But if history serves as any indication, he is unlikely to remain on the political sidelines for long.
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