Nancy Pelosi believes former Chicago mayor and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel is going to run for president in 2028.
Emanuel, 65, has been reported to be eyeing a bid for some time, drawing the ire of many online liberals.
The former Congressman served as US Ambassador to Japan during the Biden administration and a new feature in The Free Press appears to confirm his ambitions.
Pelosi, the ultimate Democrat kingmaker who has known the man known as ‘Rahmbo’ since his days working for Bill Clinton, said: ‘I think he’s going to run.’
Emanuel, for his part, says he hopes public service ‘is not done with me’ and is taking an active role in seeing what the nation’s issues are.
‘Before I make a decision, I want to know that I have an answer to what I think ails our country, ails our politics, and ails the party – and they may all be the same answer,’ he said.
He even took a swipe at Joe Biden in the feature, quipping when asked how he was doing: ‘Well, I don’t have prostate cancer.’
Emanuel has made numerous media appearances showing off his desire to test the Democrat establishment, including battling a podcast regarding the left’s overwhelming acceptance of transgender rights.
Nancy Pelosi believes former Chicago mayor and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel is going to run for president in 2028
Pelosi, the ultimate Democrat kingmaker and insider who has known the man known as ‘Rahmbo’ for his combative nature since his days working for Bill Clinton , said directly: ‘I think he’s going to run’
The first contest of the 2028 Democratic presidential primary is likely almost three years away.
But the idea of the former Obama official and congressman throwing his name in the ring for the Democratic presidential nomination was not met with open arms online as Democrats are still licking their wounds from the brutal 2024 presidential election.
Talk about the 2028 presidential race has been well underway ever since the 2024 election with a number of Democrats being floated as potential contenders.
If Emanuel were to jump in the race, he could be part of a crowded field as multiple prominent Democrats including governors and lawmakers could launch campaigns.
Recent polling shows former Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost to President Trump just over four months ago, leads the current pack of possible candidates as she continues to hold greater name recognition nationally.
Harris has not signaled what her future plans are but there has been speculation that she will run for governor of California next year.
Harris reportedly has given herself until the end of the summer to decide whether she will run for governor.
The move could take her out of the running for a 2028 bid. But even if she were to forgo running for president, the field could still be packed.
If Emanuel were to jump in the race, he could be part of a crowded field as multiple prominent Democrats including governors and lawmakers could launch campaigns
The former Congressman served as the United States’ Ambassador to Japan during the Biden administration
While the report that Emanuel is gearing up for a presidential bid was met with backlash, there are few Democrats who know more about getting things done in the White House.
The 65-year-old served as Obama’s chief of staff from January 2009 until October 2010, helping the administration navigate the great recession and passage of the Affordable Care Act.
Before that, he served three terms in the House. From the Obama administration he went on serve two terms as mayor of Chicago.
But his tenure there could come back to haunt him in a Democratic presidential primary after he clashed with the powerful Chicago teachers union that went on strike during his first term.
He also faced harsh criticism for how he handled the killing of black teenager Laquan McDonald by a Chicago police officer in 2014.
Emanuel first said he would but then opted not to run for a third term as mayor in 2019 amid low approval ratings.
President Biden nominated him to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Japan where he served until just before the start of the Trump administration in January.
Now, he’s back stateside and has been spotted all over the place with a speech before the Economic Club of Chicago, appearances on CNN and writing columns for the Washington Post.
But in discussing his plans with Politico, Emanuel remained coy.
‘I’ve only been back two months, I have no idea what I’m doing,’ he told Martin.
‘I’m not done with public service and I’m hoping public service is not done with me,’ he said.
